She took this job very seriously because she did not want to let her parents down. She also took it up because she wanted to pull her family out of one of the rockiest patches - financially and emotionally - ever.

Fifteen years hence and innumerable awards and accolades later, her life looks like a fairy tale or a Bollywood script that could not have been written any better. In an industry where the shelf life of an actress is getting shorter by the month - even as actors rule the roost for two decades or more - Rani has seen her fair share of ups and downs that have taught her valuable lessons.

In the last few years, she has faltered in terms of choice of films. But one thing that she hasn't forgotten is to do her job well, i.

e. to act.

She takes it up as seriously as she did during the mahurat shot of "Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat" as a 16-year-old. But today, there's more passion than ever, and a mastery of her craft that compels you to appreciate her skills as an actress, even if you aren't her die-hard fan.

After the success of "No One Killed Jessica" early last year, she is awaiting her next two releases this year - the Reema Kagti-directed thriller "Talaash", with Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap's quirky comedy "Aiyya" directed by National Award winning director Sachin Kundalkar. We ask the 'Queen of Bollywood' about the journey during which her job turned into her passion, the girl Rani morphed into the woman who rules hearts and, of course, a certain someone she "is dating".

What are you doing these days? I've just returned from Lonavala where I was shooting for "Aiyya". A few songs are left.

Has the industry changed since you joined films? Immensely. Today, the first look of the film is almost as important as the film itself.

I'm eagerly waiting for the promos of "Talaash", which are to hit the screens soon. It's going to be released in June.

The fact that I'm doing two films that are as different as they can be, in the same year, speaks volumes about how times have changed. It's a far bigger, more diverse than ever industry that's gone global in terms of its scope in every possible way.

Did you always want to become an actress? Arre, my joining films is a poori filmi kahaani. Though I technically come from a film family, my father had stopped making films even before my brother and I were born.

So I did not really grow up in a filmi environment. And when I was growing up, becoming an actress was still quite a taboo.

And you may not believe this but even my father did not want me to join films. Salim (Akhtar) uncle, who was very close to my family, came with the offer of "Aa Gale Lag Jaa" in 1994, but my father was aghast and turned it down.

In the meantime, I joined college (SNDT, Juhu) pursuing Home Science. Those days, the 'in thing' that most girls were going after as a career choice was jewelery and interior designing.

I did not have the money to pursue a `3 lakh course to make a career. And then Salim uncle came back again.

I think he must have been pretty desperate to launch a new actress. This time, he managed to convince my parents.

How did he manage that? (Laughs) When Salim uncle came to me and said he wanted me to act in his film, I started crying. I thought he was making a pass at me.

..

Why on earth..

.? Because I was daft.

And the fact that in those days, acting was still considered a taboo for the girls in my family. My mom's side was okay with it, as my aunt (Bengali actress Debashree Roy) is an actress.

In fact, she had kept it from me till then, but she was seriously harboring dreams of me becoming an actress. My father was still adamant about me not joining films.

But by that time my second cousins, Kajol and Sharbani, had entered films. And that sort of paved the way for me.

My mother and father still fought over it for quite a few days before he finally agreed to give me at least one shot at it - of course, with the strict clause that my mom will accompany me everywhere. And you? Did you know anything about acting by then? I wish I could show you the recording of my first screen test.

You will literally sprint away from the room thinking 'who is this horrible actress?' What was so bad? Those days, I used to be quite chubby. And Salim uncle, who had done "Baazi" with Mamta Kulkarni a few years ago, fished those shorter-than-short and tighter-than-tight clothes that looked completely hideous on me.

And to top that, I had to act! I was a shy kid with inhibitions galore. It was some courtroom scene and when someone gave me the sheet with dialogues, I was dumbfounded.

I saw all these famous dialogues from famous films which I had to say in front of the camera. My understanding of films was just as much as any young girl who watches Bollywood films.

I had no idea about the whole process of filmmaking, about dialogue writing, scripts, screenplay etc. I had probably gone to two or three film shoots in my childhood.

And even when on a shoot as a young girl, I would find actors just giving their shots and sitting in their vans getting bored in-between shots. So when the whole picture opened up in front of me about the reality of becoming an actress, I was petrified.

And my screen test was a disaster. I came back crying and said 'I would not be able to do this - anything but acting! Then? But Salim uncle came back and said I had a photogenic face and the camera captured me quite well, which is very important for any actor.

That was one glimmer of hope in my otherwise nightmarish experience. My mother sat me down that night and told me, 'Opportunity knocks at your door just once, take it up.

What's the worst that could happen? You'll fail at your effort? We are there after that. But at least you'd know you have tried, and won't regret leaving this golden opportunity'.

And though it was never told to me, but I knew my family was going through a financial crisis. And there was also tension in the family because of a lot of bickering between my father and his brothers.

I decided that I would work very hard (there was a month left for the shoot of "Raja Ki..

.") and give myself one good shot, even if it did not work out in the end.

I took it up as a job that just had to be done. What happened in that one month for you to give that spirited performance? My father took me to join Roshan Taneja's acting classes.

Mr Taneja had two courses, one was a year-long one and the other a three-month one. I had to learn all the acting I could in one month.

I told Mr Taneja I would come in the morning and evening for a month and be a dedicated student. On the very first day, my dad said to him, 'Please teach my daughter how to act'.

Mr Taneja said, 'Acting isn't a tablet. You can't pop it and become an actress.

It has to come from within you. It's either deep within you or it's not there'.

His statement stayed with me for a long time. It was my first lesson.

But in the classes, I did not know where to start. Thankfully, one good thing was the improvisation classes - where we all had to face the camera and say whatever came to our mind and enact a scene.

It sort of broke through my shy exterior. In any acting class, there are always a lot of faces looking at you from all corners and that's done on purpose so that the person drops all his/her inhibitions.

On the day of the mahurat, when I was called to give my first shot, I thought, 'yaar, I can't let my parents down. I just have to give it my best'.

And then, when I walked into the shot, I was this confident, fiery ball of energy, spouting dialogues like I had never imagined I would. I haven't looked back since that day.

And how did this job eventually become your passion? That happened later when I started getting fan mails. I was doing a lot of films.

But my fans kept on writing that they were not happy with me. So I wondered 'Arre, I am working 72 hours at a stretch, not eating right, not getting enough sleep, giving my best to each shot, so what was going wrong?' Then I realized that after "Ghulam" and "Kuch Kuch Hota Hain", my fans' expectations of me were higher than my own.

That's when I learnt my second lesson - that it's not just performing, I also had to know good scripts from the not-so-good ones. I started getting more involved in the whole process; understanding films beyond just acting.

During this whole process, acting became my passion. Coming back to the present, what went wrong in the last couple of years before "No One Killed Jessica" last year? You had some consecutive flops after a spate of hits, and suddenly you just vanished.

..

(Snaps her fingers and says with a smile) Don't worry, from this year, you'll see me in two films every year at least. Coming back to your question, I had seen failures before but when those three films ("Laaga Chunri Mein Daag", "Thoda Pyaar, Thoda Magic" and "Dil Bole Hadippa") failed in quick succession, it affected me in a way no flop had before.

My confidence was completely shattered. All my movies failed to make a mark with audiences and critics alike.

Maybe the critics thought 'we've praised her enough, now it's time for her to fall a bit hard, so she steps her game up' (smiles). I also think I was plain unlucky.

The audience has little memory of what you have done before or are capable of doing. What matters is today.

So three flops probably told them 'Rani has worked so well in the last few years, maybe it's time she took a back seat and settled down'. And are you settling down? (Smile that says read-my-expression-if-you-can) When I plan to settle down, I will announce it to the world.

Marriage is an occasion to celebrate. I'll celebrate it when it happens, letting everyone know about it.

What about the rumors of your relationship with Aditya Chopra? I have been linked with so many of my co-stars and this Aditya rumor has stayed with me for the longest time. This time, I'm going to give you the cliched answer no journalist wants to hear, 'No comments'.

Are you dating someone? Yes, I am dating, but that's as far as I'm willing to talk about my personal life. Your fans want to know about your personal life? They want to know if marriage is on the cards.

They will know when the time comes. Right now, I have two movies coming out and that's what I'm going to talk about.

Are you saying nothing is serious as far as your dating goes? In a relationship, there are two people involved. Since I'm a public figure, if I start answering questions, it'll open doors for more questions, speculations, gossips, and then it comes to a point where every day someone has something to say about your personal life.

It's unfair to the other person. I do not mind a bitchy comment about the way I dress or my films, but a comment on my private space isn't welcome.

Are you a romantic? I'm a born romantic. I romanticize everything in life.

My personal life is full of love and romance. God's given us one life.

You should romance it. It's not always nice and cool to be practical and logical.

What have your relationships/ heartbreaks taught you? I haven't been in a lot of relationships. Heartbreak definitely teaches you to be a better actor.

Don't they say, an artiste always performs better when he or she has experienced heartbreak? (Laughs) That was a joke. I don't give that much importance to men.

All my heartbreaks have been because of close friends, and not men. Seriously? (On a serious note) Heartbreak, anger, frustration - if you can overcome these emotions, you become a better person.

If you're a person of substance, you'll overcome your bad times. Who wants to be a loser? Will you marry an actor? No, two megalomaniacs can't exist in the same house.

We'll end up killing each other. What's the best thing about being in a relationship? (Enigmatic smile) That you can hide it.

And the best part of getting married is that you can announce it to the world. What about the fact that today the shelf life of actresses is low? Would you ever decide to do an item number or attend red carpet events as visibility is important these days? No.

Because for me, it's important to cement an impression of my work. Acting is what I do best.

It's not difficult to be in the public eye. Go anywhere and you'll find the media.

I am not trying to sound high and mighty here. If I was being launched today, I would do exactly what newcomers do these days.

But after 15 years in the course of which I have firmly established my credentials as an actress, I plan to only focus on acting. But if friends call me, I'll be there.

Like I went to Farah's (Khan) house-warming party recently. Aamir (Khan) and Kiran (Rao) had a son and going there was important for me because he is someone who is very dear to me.

As are Shah Rukh Khan and Karan (Johar). Have you spoken to Abhishek after he became a father? We aren't in touch on the phone, but whenever I come across him, I will definitely congratulate him.

It's great news. What did that low phase in your life teach you? When I was joining films, my dad had told me, 'Don't ever be disheartened with failure and don't be over-excited with success'.

This is an important lesson in any actor's life. But can you really separate your emotions as professional and personal in your mind? Hurt is hurt, disappointment is disappointment.

..

That's where your family and your strength as an individual come in. I am very close to my family.

And I have other interests, like baking. I started baking in one of my very low phases in life.

I find it therapeutic. So, would we see a Rani Mukerji patisserie soon? You could.

I'm serious about going to Paris or Chicago for a fulltime patisserie course. Any other venture in mind? A lot of actresses are starting their own fashion lines.

Or maybe even film production..

. No.

The only thing I will be producing next is babies. No other production happening with me.

Is there a lot of bitching/backbiting in the industry? There is, but that's true of any industry where over-competitive minds are always at work. But it is blown out of proportion in ours because it's the glamor industry.

Have you been at the receiving end of bitching? People say bitchy things about other people to feel good about themselves. Whatever I have got in life has been a huge blessing.

I've never gone after something that's not mine. Today, I am sitting at my office in Juhu, overlooking the sea.

I used to live in a shack before. I used to travel in rickshaws.

Today, I have a Mercedes. But if I start thinking, 'I have a bungalow, why not a building in Bandra tomorrow? Or now, I have a car, why not a yacht next?' my life will be difficult.

My mind doesn't work that way. The only ambition I have is to pick up interesting scripts and give a stellar performance that'll be etched in the audiences' and my fans' minds (less)

Makeup artist Mallika Bhatt did her makeup finishing off her look with a glossy plum manicure. The same dress has been worn by the Hollywood actress Anna Paquin (True Blood) wore the same dress at Television Critics Association (TCA) press tour in August 2011.

IT was worn on the runway by model Emily Baker. Compared to the runway look, the top of Sonam or Anna’s dress is not as sheer, which looks better and more chic.

Sphere: Related Content Posted in (less)

They spent about 30 minutes inside the temple, the sources said. Family sources said the 61-year-old actor undertook the visit to pay his thanks to the Lord for his speedy recovery from the ailments he suffered in May.

Rajinikanth had last visited the shrine after the wedding of his daughter Soundarya with Ashwin on September 9 last year. The actor, who took ill during the shoot of the film Rana in April, underwent treatment at a hospital in Singapore for reported kidney problem.

Tweet (less)

"I had no idea about either of them. For me, doing the film was more like an art project.

I just fell in love with the script the moment I heard it," says Nargis. The former model admits that making the switch from the ramp to the big screen wasn't easy either.

"It was very difficult initially; acting is a very intense job. It was difficult to adjust to the acting environment.

Moreover, I had to get used to being in a new environment without my friends or family. But I enjoyed it," she says, adding, "I remember spending 10 hours in the office , from Monday to Sunday, dubbing for my own scenes.

I did 5-10 scenes, but I don't know why they weren't taken. I was very upset that I didn't get to dub for myself.

" While Nargis is aware of the appreciation that has come her way for her role, her greatest admirer so far has been Ranbir. "He has seen how hard I worked on this project, and it's great if your co-star gives you credit," she says.

And though the actor is just one film old, she has already bagged three endorsements and kickstarted a brand war of sorts. Quiz her about snapping up deals for which actors Sonam Kapoor and Deepika Padukone were also under consideration, and she says, "I don't think I am taking over from anyone.

I have been doing ads for some time and this is not new to me." And if B-town buzz is to be believed, the newbie Nargis has been signed up to play the female villain in Rakesh Roshan's sequel to Krrish .

"I am not doing this right now. At the moment I am just taking my time," she clarifies (less)

When he embarked upon his acting career, he had to live up to a lot of expectations. Shammi was aware that comparisons will be drawn because his brother was already an established superstar and an acclaimed filmmaker.

He knew that if he needed to make a mark, he should be as different from his brother as possible. However, making his debut in 1953, Shammi's initial film portrayed him as nothing more than a mere shadow of his brother Raj.

Films like Rail Ka Dibba , Chor Bazaar , Shama Parvana , Hum Sab Chor Hain , Memsaheb and Miss Coca Cola had Shammi in a completely different get-up, especially his hairdo, his moustache, and even his on-screen antics resembled to those of Raj Kapoor to a considerable extent. It was only in 1957, with Nasir Hussain's Tumsa Nahin Dekha , that the actor finally tasted success.

He sported a new look sans whiskers on the lines of the contemporary Hollywood greats like Elvis Presley and James Dean; and a star was born. Shammi often discussed with his friends on how best to present himself, especially when his flicks bombed at the box office one after another.

Bunny Ruben came up with the title rebel star, struggling to make a space against the reigning trio of Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar. Tumsa Nahin Dekha was also Nasir Hussain's directorial debut and its success prompted the Nasir-Shammi pair to follow up with several blockbusters.

One of the main highlights of the film was its foot-tapping music, and boisterous, smooth and easy dancing style of Shammi that gained immense popularity and literally became his trademark over the years. Incidentally, Shammi was happily married to well known actress Geeta Bali even before he became a star.

And his marriage didn't affect his popularity even a bit. But unfortunately for him, Geeta Bali passed away too soon due to illness.

In 1959, the Nasir-Shammi combination delivered yet another superhit, Dil Deke Dekho which was also the launching pad for Asha Parekh. Shammi never looked back ever since.

He finally hit big time in 1961 with the all-time classic, one of his most popular films till date Junglee , directed by Subodh Mukherjee. The film also attains significance for giving him the image of The Yahoo Yuppie .

Junglee regarded as a 'cult classic' was incidentally one of the first romantic films to be made in colour. Shammi's persona as a fun-loving, boisterous, romantic and rebellious hero worked very well and contributed to the success of many of his movies including China Town , Dil Tera Deewana and Professor .

Aware of the kind of hysteria he generated among the youth, most of his films were hero-centric and youth-oriented. Filmmakers would cast new heroine opposite him to add freshness to the film.

Some of the prominent ladies who made their debuts against Shammi later went on to become stars like Asha Parekh, Saira Banu and Sharmila Tagore. The Nasir-Shammi combination struck gold at the box-office with Teesri Manzil , one of the most unforgettable films of Shammi's career.

Shammi sashayed his way into young hearts aided by melodiously memorable music composed by R.D.

Burman in the murder mystery directed by Vijay Anand. It was also one of Shammi's biggest hits.

Despite his growing weight, An Evening In Paris , Brahmachari and Tumse Achha Kaun Hai did reasonably well. Salubrious music of these films had as much to contribute to their success.

One of Shammi's last films as a hero was Ramesh Sippy's Andaz , where he was paired opposite Hema Malini. Despite his successes, critics of that time would dismiss his films as lightweight tales and criticise him for his acting.

But, he replied to criticism with sensitive performances in Brahmachari and highly charged Teesri Manzil . Tweet (less)

Makeup artist Mallika Bhatt did her makeup finishing off her look with a glossy plum manicure. The same dress has been worn by the Hollywood actress Anna Paquin (True Blood) wore the same dress at Television Critics Association (TCA) press tour in August 2011.

IT was worn on the runway by model Emily Baker. Compared to the runway look, the top of Sonam or Anna’s dress is not as sheer, which looks better and more chic.

Sphere: Related Content Posted in (less)

We take a quick sneak peek into Neha's Bollywood diary and ask her about her journey so far in the industry. Tell us a bit about your character in the movie ' Luv U Soniyo' My character in the film is that of a Punjabi girl who is upbeat and lively.

She is someone who carries positive energy with her wherever she goes. She loves to aspire big and is her family's favourite child.

I did not have to struggle or put in much effort to bring out the real character because 'Soniyo' is very much like me in real life. The fact that I could relate to the character made me believe that I can portray it with correct passion and genuity.

Does acting come naturally to you or have you undergone a professional training for the film? I am a software engineer by profession and Bollywood has never been a conscious decision for me. It happened by chance and now that I am into it, I am ready to explore its depths.

Yes, I would definitely like to polish my acting skills so that I find myself at ease with other film projects sure to come my way in the near future. As far as Luv U Soniyo is concerned, I just let myself loose and that I guess worked! Your experience shooting for Luv U Soniyo It has been a fun ride.

I remember my first shot was in Goa and that was like living a dream. My co-star Tanuj Virwani (son of yesteryear actress Rati Agnihotri) and I shared a rocking equation on the sets.

My director Joe Rajan helped both of us bring out our true potential in the film. Our chemistry in the film is one of the highpoints to watch out for.

I had never met Tanuj before but we clicked instantly at the shoot and I think this will reflect onscreen too. How far has Miss India helped you carve a niche in Bollywood? Did it come easy? Most definitely! Miss India has played the role of a catalyst in giving me a quick entry into Bollywood.

I was adjudged the Bollywood Diva during the pageant and I can proudly say that I was the only contestant (who did not win the International crown) to have been selected by veteran director Madhur Bhandarkar for his film. However, prior commitments, preparation for Miss International pageant and a host of other reasons did not allow me to be a part of the film.

In fact it was Madhur Bhandarkar who recommended me to Joe Rajan for Luv U Soniyo and I am grateful to him for that. Dream directors you would like to work with.

..

Oh! The list is endless. Some of the names that come to my mind are Imtiaz Ali, Karan Johar, Anurag Kashyap, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and of course the Yash Raj banner.

The kind of roles you'd want to do..

. I am open to all kinds of roles for I believe it is important to be versatile and experimental to be recognised in Bollywood as an actor.

Current projects/ endorsements you are associated with..

. No, there are no projects in the pipeline as of now.

For the time being my focus is only on 'Luv U Soniyo', the shooting of which got completed earlier this month. Dubbing and other technical details are still at finishing stage.

After that I will be off on a vacation to Pune and spend quality time with family and friends. We wish Neha the best for all her future endeavours (less)

The film starred Adah and newcomer Rajneesh Duggal as the married couple. Now, she would be essaying a clairvoyant in Bhatt's upcoming film.

"I was sure that I wanted to start with a movie that would focus on me and that I get a fantastic role. Sometimes, there are people in the industry for ten years and they don't get any scope for performance.

..

and I think without having a 'filmi' backing I got to do that in my first film so whether it was supernatural or thriller or comedy did not matter to me," Adah told PTI. On the risk of restricting herself to this genre and getting typecast, Adah said, "I did not think much about all this.

I don't think these days people block their minds and say that this girl did horror film and cannot look beautiful." "A lot of people said that I will never get to play a pretty girl or happy character.

But today I am endorsing lot of big brands like Nokia with Sharman Joshi then Limca and Parachute who have signed me for two years and also Olay," she said. The 22-year-old actress says her debut film, 1920 had changed the perception of the industry people.

"I remember for 1920 , Vikram Sir had asked if I was fine looking ugly and I said okay. I even told him I am ready to look old.

Industry people got to know that I am fine experimenting with looks..

. black spots or whatever I am ready to do it," Adah said.

In her second film, Adah would be sharing screen again with Rajneesh and television actress Roshni Chopra. In Phhir Adah essays the role of Disha, who sets out to help a doctor (Rajneesh) with clues that take him closer to unravel the mystery of his missing lawyer wife (Roshni).

"I play a young girl who is not attractive. You will see me covered from head to toe exposing only my fingers and you cannot see any curve in my body.

My eyes have a deadpan look. I even walk with a slight hunch throughout the film.

There is an element of mystery that shrouds my character," Adah said. She says the role of Disha was quite challenging.

"It was quite tough. As in real life I am very happy person and use my hands and eyes often as I am Kathak dancer.

I had to be very still and even if I have to cry only one drop should come out..

. no expression.

I don't smile in the entire movie. So it was very difficult to stay still all the while," Adah said.

"For my role in Phhir I meditated..

. my mother is a yoga teacher, she taught me meditation," she said.

Directed by Girish Dhamika, the film releases on August 12. Tweet (less)

"Being a part of the movie means a lot to me. For the first time, I am playing a north Indian character, a Haryanvi," the actress said on arrival at Mumbai airport Thursday.

The Murder girl was happy to see that members of the cast and crew of the film had come to receive her. "My entire cast is here.

What better welcome than this. It's such a pleasant surprise.

I had never imagined that I will get such a surprise," said Mallika who recently featured in a Hollywood film titled Politics Of Love . Reportedly, Mallika wants producer Sanjay Khanduri to wrap up the shoot in three months as she has commitments in Hollywood.

Her last Bollywood film was Double Dhamaal . Tweet (less)

"She's so pretty, we've seen all her films," gushed 21-year-old Preeti. After a substantial wait, Deepika welcomed us into a small meeting room in an entertainment channel's office where she was busy giving interviews.

Dressed in a fitted sequined cocktail dress, high heels and hair and make-up to boot, in the middle of the afternoon, seemed a little disorienting but did justice to her toned figure. Greeting us with a warm smile, she towered above everyone.

The star-struck twins started, "You look beautiful. How crazy has the promotion schedule been like?" With a smile and an exasperated expression said, "It's absolutely manic.

Yesterday we started our day in Chandigarh, took a charter plane to Ludhiana, made it to Amritsar by road before finally heading home. I optimistically called my trainer and told her I'll come in at 9 am.

But I barely made it out of bed. Sometimes it's relaxed, but sometimes many things need to be packed in into a month or two.

" "Which films did you really enjoy?" Deepika asked. "OSO and Break Ke Baad was our favourite," they said almost in unison.

The girls wanted to know how she felt debuting with Shah Rukh. "I was stunned.

I first met Farah while she was rehearsing for a song. She said, 'Lets see how you do.

The lead actor is SRK.' She had only seen me in a Himesh (Reshamiya) video before then.

At the time Shah Rukh was working on Chak de!, so I had a year to prepare. Once I knew it was him, I didn't want any other role, so I really worked hard.

I took Kathak classes, worked out. I remember the first time I met him, Farah took me to his house, and now things have changed, but back then, everything was white.

White sofa, curtains..

. and I in total Yash Chopra style, wore a white chicken suit with a chiffon dupatta, and tried to camouflage myself.

I pretended to be really cool, so I started flipping a book, but I was freaking out. I sat stiff as a board," she said, laughing.

Rati asked her how she felt being called the hottest girl on earth. Deepika replied nonchalantly, "It's nice to hear that but I'm not very conscious about it.

" "How and why did you switch from being a sportswoman to an actor?" asked Preeti. "I was very keen on being an actor.

If I saw Madhuri dance around in Switzerland, I liked to believe I could do it too. I wasn't fanatic about it; I wouldn't practise in front of a mirror.

So when the opportunity presented itself, I took it. But I'm very attached to sports.

I grew up going for practice everyday at 5 am, for four hours a day. Now that I feel like I have some influence, I like to support sports as much as possible," she said.

As they wrapped up, Rati asked, "Would you head to Hollywood?" Deepika replied, "I would like to, but offers here are so good that they really need to match up." (less)

Our source revealed, "The actress does Pranayam before her rehearsals. She rehearses for more than two hours at the venue.

She is going to perform on Jalebi Bai, Kolavari D, bheege honth tere and other hit numbers. Highlight of the evening is her dress which has been specially designed by Ashley Rebello and the cost of the dress is 10 Lakhs!" Mallika has been an Ashley loyalist for years now.

Ashley's designs work for Mallika and grab just the right amount of attention the actress seeks. Ashley Mallika combo has been in news ever since, Ashley had designed a diamond studded nude jumpsuit for Mallika for her New Year performance in 2007.

Mallika had worn a single piece skin colored jump suit with a bikini top that was studded with diamonds on New Year's eve in 2007. The designer had back then rubbished claims that his outfit was vulgar.

"She was covered from the neck to toe. She was wearing a skin color full body suit, which has got two layers of fabric" said Ashley.

"This year too the outfit will be raunchy and sensational although not really vulgar. Mallika's outfit has been designed keeping the songs in mind.

The shipping cost of the dress was surprisingly one lakh, it reached just last night, the makeup cost is above one Lakh too!" revealed a source closely working with Ultimate Cine and Tele and Ican Entertainment, organizers of the event. Ashley was unavailable for comment , he being in Dubai .

Over to you Mallika, we are sure you will set the stage on fire with your Jalebi like moves! (less)

It is my bread and butter," said Mallika here at a press conference to announce her performance at Hotel Tulip Star's New Year's Eve show. Mallika has made US her second home and has been there for the past two years.

The actress, who was last seen in Hollywood flick "Politics Of Love", asserts that the West is curious to know more about Bollywood. "I have signed 'Lucky Unlucky'.

I am playing a Jat sprinter in it and I have signed another movie with Vivek Oberoi , 'Kismat Love Paisa Delhi'. It will be directed by Sanjay Khanduri.

Then, there is an international venture that I'm doing." "I'm trying to maintain a balance between both America and India.

Right now there is so much curiosity in America about Bollywood and Indian actors," said Mallika, who is in here to shoot for Khanduri's film. The "Murder" girl dazzled on screen this year in item numbers "Jalebi Bai", "Razia" and "Shalu ke thumke".

Mallika debuted in Bollywood with a special appearance in "Jeena Sirf Mere Liye" and then signed "Khwahish", her first film as a lead actress. Then she featured in "Pyaar Ke Side Effects" and "Welcome".

She played an Indian princess in Jackie Chan's Chinese film " The Myth " (less)

We list those weddings which everyone took a note of. B-Town weddings got bigger and better in 2011.

Harshada Rege lists some of the walks down the aisle that were much-talked about Imran Khan and Avantika Malik When: January 10, 2011 Imran and Avantika will soon celebrate the first anniversary of their marriage. The two got married after being in a relationship for eight long years.

Theirs was probably one of the most high-profile weddings in B-Town. The mehendi, sangeet and a grand reception saw all of B-Town coming in to wish the couple.

Mamu Aamir Khan and wife Kiran Rao welcomed the guests. Celina Jaitly and Peter Haag When: March 16, 2011 Celina Jaitly announced her engagement with Peter Haag in January and their wedding took place at a 1,000 year old monastery.

B-Town got a whiff of her wedding much later. The actress is now expecting twins.

Vijender Singh and Archana Singh When: May 17, 2011 Vijender Singh married Archana Singh in Delhi. Rahul Gandhi was among the eminent guests who took part in the celebration.

Shabbir Ahluwalia and Kanchi Kaul When: November 27, 2011 This wedding of two small screen actors was very lavish. The entire television industry showed up for the sangeet ceremony as well as the wedding.

Ganesh Hegde and Sunayna Shetty When: June 5, 2011 Ganesh Hegde agreed to dance to Sunayna Shetty's tunes in June. Many superstars including Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Priyanka Chopra were present to wish the couple.

Samir Soni and Neelam When: January 23, 2011 The first thing Sameer Soni did when he walked out of Bigg Boss's house (during the fourth season of the show) was ask girlfriend Neelam to marry him. The wedding was attended my the their B-Town and society buddies.

Nikhil Dwivedi and Gauri Pandit When: March 7, 2011 Nikhil Dwivedi's lavish wedding to Gauri Pandit had guest like Abhishek Bachchan, Salman Khan , Anil Kapoor , Tusshar, Manish Malhotra , Juhi Chawla and Abhishek Bachchan on the guestlist. Gautam Gambhir and Natasha Jain When: October 28, 2011 Gautam and Delhi-based Natasha's wedding was held at a farmhouse in Gurgaon.

His team members turned up to congratulate the couple. Gul Panag and Rishi Attari When: March 13, 2011 Gul Panag married boyfriend Rishi Attari in a traditional Sikh ceremony at a gurudwara.

The wedding took place in Chandigarh and was a family affair. But trust Gul to do things differently.

The baraat had Rishi riding a bike and Gul plonking her self in the sidecar. Very filmi! Lara Dutta and Mahesh Bhupathi When: February 16, 2011 Lara and Mahesh first had a civil ceremony, in Bandra.

But they took their vows on February 20 in a Christian ceremony at Sunset Point in Goa. Friends like Raveena Tandon and Priyanka Chopra were among the guests.

Anurag Kashyap and Kalki Koechlin When: April 30, 2011 Anurag Kashyap married Kalki Koechlin in a traditional ceremony in Ooty. This, too, was a family-only affair, but the couple had invited a few of their friends from B-Town.

Rajeev Khandelwal and Manjiri Kamtikar When: February 7, 2011 Rajeev Khandelwal's wedding, too, was a family-only affair. The wedding that took place at Khimsar Fort in Jodhpur and was conducted according to the Arya Samaji rituals.

Sameer Dattani and Ritika Jolly When: March 16, 2011 Sameer Dattani married girlfriend Ritika Jolly amidst family and friends at a ceremony in Dehra Dun. The married couple later hosted a huge reception for industrywallahs in Mumbai.

Sonam Kapoor and Imran Khan , who have worked with Sameer in I Hate Love Storys were present to congratulate their co-star (less)

"Being a part of the movie means a lot to me. For the first time, I am playing a north Indian character, a Haryanvi," the actress said on arrival at Mumbai airport Thursday.

The "Murder" girl was happy to see that members of the cast and crew of the film had come to receive her. "My entire cast is here.

What better welcome than this. It's such a pleasant surprise.

I had never imagined that I will get such a surprise," said Mallika who recently featured in a Hollywood film titled "Politics Of Love". Reportedly, Mallika wants producer Sanjay Khanduri to wrap up the shoot in three months as she has commitments in Hollywood.

Her last Bollywood film was "Double Dhamaal" (less)

Luckily and happily, Loot is the last of my terrible film career," said the actress who recently married Kenya-based businessman Ali Punjani. Kim now divides her time in three cities - Mombasa in Kenya, Dubai and Mumbai - and sees no reason to cling to a non-existent Bollywood career.

"So it's farewell to Bollywood. My message to Bollywood, see you later, Beautiful," said the actress who is paired with singer Mika in Loot -- in not a major or noticeable role.

Kim started her career in Aditya Chopra's Mohabbatein . The film clicked, but the careers of all the newcomers in the film - Kim, Shamita, Preeti Jhangiani, Uday Chopra, Jimmy Shergill and Jugal Hansraj - failed to take off.

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Luckily and happily, 'Loot' is the last of my terrible film career," said the actress who recently married Kenya-based businessman Ali Punjani. Kim now divides her time in three cities - Mombasa in Kenya , Dubai and Mumbai - and sees no reason to cling to a non-existent Bollywood career.

"So it's farewell to Bollywood. My message to Bollywood, see you later, Beautiful," said the actress who is paired with singer Mika in "Loot" -- in not a major or noticeable role.

Kim started her career in Aditya Chopra's "Mohabbatein". The film clicked, but the careers of all the newcomers in the film - Kim, Shamita, Preeti Jhangiani , Uday Chopra , Jimmy Shergill and Jugal Hansraj - failed to take off (less)

A Chaplinesque tramp with holes in his shoes, too-short pants and a slightly goofy hat skips down a country road and sings these lines in Hindi: "My shoes are Japanese/These pants are English/On my head is a red Russian hat/But still," he says, pointing to his chest and delivering the kicker, "my heart is Hindustani." That heart belonged to Raj Kapoor, and his song -- a simple statement of patriotism in a globalizing world -- struck a chord with audiences in the young Indian republic when it appeared in Shree 420 (1955).

And not just in India; it was a hit in the Middle East and the Soviet Union too. Some middle-aged Russians can still sing it.

Kapoor (1924-88), called the Great Showman -- no small tribute in an industry besotted with showmanship -- looms large over the Indian film landscape. But how to explain him and his work to those who didn't grow up with Hindi movies? As an actor, Kapoor was a leading man who played poets and misfits and lovers.

With the actress Nargis, he made up one of Hindi movies' great romantic couples. And he could be comic too, as in Shree 420 , in which his everyman tramp is not above the old slipping-on-a-banana-peel gag.

(No one is spared: Nargis takes a tumble too.) As a director and producer, eventually with his own studio, Kapoor lived the auteur's dream.

In a mostly formulaic and conservative industry, he made inventive, personal films that were entertaining and accessible but also something more. Socially conscious and Socialist-inclined with nation-building themes, they resonated in -- and maybe even helped to define -- a newly independent India busy inventing itself.

For those who have never seen a Hindi movie or are curious about Kapoor, the Museum of Modern Art's well-chosen eight-film series Raj Kapoor and the Golden Age of Indian Cinema, opening on Friday, is an excellent place to start, focusing mainly on Kapoor's heyday, the late 1940s to '50s. And for those already familiar with Kapoor, the series offers a rare opportunity to see his films as they should be seen: on the big screen, in new 35-millimeter prints.

With its restless hero and inventive visuals, Aag ( Fire , 1948), made when its director-producer-star was just 24, announces a new voice on the scene that all but shouts, "Look at me!" Filmed in gorgeously stylized black and white -- pools of darkness are broken by shafts of light, and eyes glow out of faces cast in shadow -- it combines expressionism and homegrown melodrama to tell the story of a soulful upper-class young man (Kapoor) who breaks with his conventional family to pursue a career in theater. Living on his own terms, the hero searches for truth and beauty and long-lost love.

But this isn't just his story, he says, it's the "story of youth." He knows that "creating your own destiny isn't easy" -- are you listening, young India? -- yet prefers a path full of obstacles to the comfortable life he would lead in his father's house.

Set in Kashmir, Barsaat ( Monsoon , 1949), a moody romance, also takes place in a world of inky black and whites, of shadows and light and backlighted haloes. With songs by the team of Shankar-Jaikishin, whose music would become the sound of Kapoor films, Barsaat follows the parallel stories of two city boys, a poet (Kapoor) and his romantically cynical friend (Prem Nath), who fall in love with country girls.

Kapoor is paired with Nargis, and while there's no kissing -- this is Hindi cinema, after all, which had a long-running ban on it -- Kapoor the director finds ways to give their scenes an erotic charge beyond the actors' obvious chemistry. Watch as he rubs her head or grabs her hair or calls her to him with the siren song of his violin.

(She even licks his fingers, calloused from playing.) In Awaara ( The Vagabond , 1951), perhaps his best movie, Kapoor tries out for the first time his tramp persona, though briefly, in the title song.

Both song and film were enormous hits abroad, especially in the Soviet Union, where bands serenaded Nargis and Kapoor with the tune when they visited; in China, Mao was said to be a fan. Here Kapoor's not a pampered upper-class fellow, but a fatherless boy, Raju, raised in the Bombay slums, who falls into a life of crime.

Written by K. A.

Abbas (who also wrote Shree 420 ), the movie mixes mythological themes (the story of Raju's parents, told in flashback, echoes the epic the Ramayana) with social ones: Can a good man come from the gutter? Can the cycle of poverty and crime be broken? Can a man be judged by who his father is -- or isn't? There's also a class-crossing love story, another favorite Kapoor theme, as Raju falls for Rita (Nargis), a lawyer and the ward of a magistrate who just happens to be the father who cast out Raju and his mother. (Kapoor's real father, Prithviraj Kapoor, a distinguished stage actor, plays the magistrate.

) If Awaara is his best movie, Shree 420 ( Mr. 420 ), a clown-rags to well-tailored riches tale, is probably his most emblematic.

Looking for work, his outsider tramp lands in the big city, Bombay, where he finds a home along a footpath with other poor people and falls for a schoolteacher, played of course by Nargis. Their moonlit, rain-soaked love song, delivered as they wander along the footpath, the city glittering just beyond, is a justifiably famous four-minute distillation of movie magic.

The tramp, though, becomes corrupt, a city-slicked swindler. (The number in the title refers to the section of the Indian penal code that deals with cheating and fraud.

) But he's redeemed at the end, making common cause again with the poor and powerless as they rise up to agitate for the simple right to housing. The MoMA series also includes two later color films made at a time when Hindi movies were becoming Bollywood -- the term was coined by journalists in the '70s -- and Kapoor was struggling to recover his place in the industry.

Meera Nam Joker ( My Name Is Joker , 1970), a maudlin working through of the tramp and clown themes, was a colossal flop. An older, puffier Kapoor looks ill matched with his young leading ladies.

But Bobby (1973), a teenage love story starring Dimple Kapadia and Rishi Kapoor (Raj's son), was a colossal hit that ushered in a vogue for tales of young love. Bollywood movies today don't look much like the Kapoor films from what MoMA calls the Golden Age.

But the Kapoor dynasty stills flourishes. Raj's brothers and sons have been stars, and now two of his grandchildren, Kareena and Ranbir (they're cousins), are hard at work in the family trade.

Both are actors, but both -- is anyone surprised? -- may have a not-so-secret dream: to direct. Tweet (less)

Mumbai Mirror learnt that the actress would now be singing with her co-actor Sonu Sood for a specially composed track in the film. Composed by Santokh Singh, this song will have Mallika crooning in her native language Haryanvi.

In fact, Santokh Singh has been reportedly, asked to compose the music for the very track in a way that does justice to the untrained voices of both Mallika and Sonu. When asked about the singing plans, Sonu said , "We are planning something.

But if I reveal our music plans now what would be the USP later? We are planning a song that would incorporate sounds from across the country. There will be songs in Punjabi, Haryanvi, Telugu, Tamil and Marathi.

" Since Sonu has worked in Hindi, Punjabi , Tamil and Telugu films, the task of finding the correct music has been assigned to him. "We're looking at both film and folk songs from these regions.

Lucky Unlucky is a road movie that takes Mallika and me across the country. The music will be in the languages of the cities that we visit.

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However, a spokesperson said that the blonde beauty isn't dating Combs but is working with him, reported New York Post. "(They) are longtime friends and have been seen together recently because they are developing a film project.

They had lunch..

. with a producer who is also involved in the project.

(They) are not romantically involved," the represenative said. Diaz split from baseball star Alex Rodriguez in September, while Combs has been linked to singer Cassie.

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The actor-turned-producer has already locked a script and the film will go on floors from February 2012. The film is scheduled to be released by the middle of the next year.

"I am producing this film titled Lucky, Unlucky . I will also be acting in it.

The film is comedy-action-adventure type. It is set in north India-- UP, Delhi and Haryana," said Sonu.

The 38-year-old has finalised Mallika Sherawat as the leading lady for the film. About the film, Sonu said, "The film is a journey of two people.

How their lives changes after they meet. One can say it is blend of Jab We Met and Dabangg .

I am 'Unlucky' character in the film, while Mallika is 'Lucky'." Tweet (less)

They spent about 30 minutes inside the temple, the sources said. Family sources said the 61-year-old actor undertook the visit to pay his thanks to the Lord for his speedy recovery from the ailments he suffered in May.

Rajinikanth had last visited the shrine after the wedding of his daughter Soundarya with Ashwin on September 9 last year. The actor, who took ill during the shoot of the film Rana in April, underwent treatment at a hospital in Singapore for reported kidney problem.

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To add to the trouble, sources say that Mallika had allotted dates in January to Sonu's film, but has now given out the same dates to Vivek's film - Kismat Love Paise Delhi . However actor Sonu Sood, who is currently shooting in Hyderabad, is unperturbed by the changes in Mallika's schedule.

"As far as the dates are concerned, it is true that she was required to shoot for Lucky Unlucky in January and February. But since I am going to be busy with the celebrity cricket matches till February 12, the change in dates was a mutual decision," he says.

While Mallika's role in Sonu's film is of a Haryanvi, he points out, "She plays an athlete in this travel film. So the background for both the characters is quite different.

In any case, since she will be done with the shooting for KLPD, we will easily be able to ensure that her character is entirely different when we begin shooting." (less)

Producer Dinesh Patel confirmed the news, "I am proud that I launched Ajay Devgn with my film Phool Aur Kaante . I am all set to launch the sequel of Phool Aur Kaante with Ajay in the lead.

The film will be titled Phool Aur Kaante 2 ." Patel informed that the lead actress of the original film Madhoo will not be roped in for the sequel.

"I plan to cast Sonakshi Sinha as I share a great rapport with her father Shatrughan Sinha. We are in talks with her.

Sonakshi will make a great pair with Ajay. Since she has not yet been paired with him in any film, it will be the casting coup," he added.

Though Patel refused to divulge whether Kuku Kohli would be brought back to direct the sequel, insiders insist that Ajay has suggested Rohit Shetty (the actor's current favourite) be signed to direct this sequel. Tweet (less)

Makeup artist Mallika Bhatt did her makeup finishing off her look with a glossy plum manicure. The same dress has been worn by the Hollywood actress Anna Paquin (True Blood) wore the same dress at Television Critics Association (TCA) press tour in August 2011.

IT was worn on the runway by model Emily Baker. Compared to the runway look, the top of Sonam or Anna’s dress is not as sheer, which looks better and more chic.

Sphere: Related Content Posted in (less)

For an actress who's been a part of television, theatre as well as films, genres don't really matter. "Theatre gives me a high, but TV and films have their own high.

It's the variety that excites me. I like doing what I do, but that inspiration can come from any medium," she says.

For Divya, October promises to be an exciting month. "I've recently shot for a short film, two of my films have been chosen to be screened at a film festival and my play What A Lota is also being performed around Diwali," says Divya with a smile.

Talking about her "extremely challenging role" in the play, Divya says the one-hour monologue is a fun-filled ride for the audeince. "It's great fun doing this play because the journey of this lota extends from mumbo-jumbo to scientific explanations," she adds.

Apart from this play, her roles in Amole Gupte's Stanley Ka Dabba and Makarand Deshpande's Miss Sundari have also won her critical acclaim and will also be screened at a film festival soon. "It's difficult for me to explain how I approach these roles, when I'm asked this question.

I just love to extend myself to a role and go with the flow," she says. As for Talk To Me, the short film written and directed by Sujit K Singh, the actress is all praises.

"The film is about an incident that completely overturns the relationship between a husband and wife. My character has to come to terms with the event, for her to move on.

I'm glad that my character realises that solution only comes from suffering and not escapism," she says. She adds that she's glad about being offered such roles.

"It's great to be part of a film where there's a democratic approach towards working. I'm always able to perform better when I feel the director has faith in my abilities," she says (less)

However, she decided against it after seeing his performance in Aarakshan and opted for Love Sex Dhokha actor Anshuman Jha instead. Says the director, "Prateik was my first choice for the film.

He has done interesting work in the past. But after seeing his performance in Aarakshan , I wasn't sure if he is the right choice.

On the other hand, Anshuman caught my attention in one of his TV commercials for a cola brand. So I decided to audition him.

He fitted the bill perfectly." Bakra is a comic satire set against the backdrop of rural India and goes on floor around Christmas.

Action director Tinu Verma's niece Yoshika Verma is debuting in the film. Tweet (less)

" 'The Dirty Picture' had a shocking opening of Rs.32.

62 crore. This has put the film in the enviable list of top 10 first three days ever," Girish Johar, head of distribution of Balaji Motion Pictures, which has produced the film, told IANS.

Even a filmmaker like Ram Gopal Varma , who has so far made only male-centric movies, can't stop raving about the film by Ekta, who seems to have a knack for picking real stories and turning them into box office wonders. "I want to give 2 million 15 lakh 17 thousand 3 hundred and 26 and a half kisses to Ekta for proving that Dirty is Clean and Clean is Dirty," he tweeted.

Ekta has always been a trailblazer - when she entered the TV business, she was crowned television czarina following her long-running successful soaps like "Kyunki..

.Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi", "Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii" and "Kasautii Zindagii Kay" and made saas-bahu sagas the staple diet on TV.

When she forayed into the moviemaking business, she left the small screen melodrama far behind and carved a niche by doing real life stories with films like "Shootout At Lokhandwala", "Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai", "Ragini MMS" and now "The Dirty Picture". And she has also brought forth Vidya.

In a way, Vidya is Ekta's prodigy as she brought the actress into the limelight with her comedy show "Hum Paanch" as Radhika, a geek, in 2000. After featuring in song videos, the actress enjoyed a dream debut in Bollywood with "Parineeta", but she was jolted back to reality by mishaps like "Kismet Konnection" and "Heyy Babyy".

But just like her mentor, Vidya bounced back as a single mother in "Paa" and took her boldness a step further with her sensuous avatar in "Ishqiya". "The Dirty Picture" is her boldest performance so far - she sheds clothes and inhibitions to play a sex symbol.

Though critics are not so happy with director Milan Luthria's treatment of the subject and too much focus on Vidya's skin show, the 32-year-old actress has no regrets. "I am not coy or 'chui mui' type," said the actress in an interview and persisted that she is "unapologetic" about her dare bare act and that "she loves the limelight and enjoys the attention she gets.

" An unofficial biopic of southern sex symbol Silk Smitha, "The Dirty Picture", which released with an A-certificate, may not fit the bill of a family watch, but critics are raving about her performance. It won't be an exaggeration to say that just like her dialogue in the film "itihaas awah hai ki mardon ki duniya rahi hai, aurton ne aa kar hungama macha diya", she has created a furore in the male-dominated arena as Silk.

Usually male actors are seen in the commanding position during film promotions, but here Vidya singlehandedly marketed the film and played the 'hero'. In fact, Vidya's co-star Emraan Hashmi too feels that the film has broken stereotypes about actresses.

"Can't thank all of you enough for the overwhelming response to 'The Dirty Picture'. The film's emerged a real game changer," he tweeted.

Echoing the same, writer-director Saurabh Shukla told IANS: "Vidya Balan is no doubt a marvellous actress and she has proved it once with 'The Dirty Picture'. Bollywood is indeed a male-dominated industry, and even society is; hence fewer woman-centric films are made.

But with 'The Dirty Picture', Vidya is likely to turn the tables." Once in a while woman power is palpable in the Hindi industry.

Vidya and Rani Mukerji-starrer "No One Killed Jessica" was a big hit despite the fact that it was a real story and had no glamour or titillating element to it. Earlier, Priyanka Chopra and Kangana Ranaut's "Fashion" was a box office success and helped in dispelling the notion that actresses were merely showpieces.

Even Ayesha Takia and Gul Panag's off-beat film "Dor" was another woman-centric film that did well. Ranjan Sinha, a Bihar-based distributor, says "The Dirty Picture" has nothing much to offer in terms of the story, but it has got a good response.

"It is a bold film. There was a lot of curiosity among people.

Vidya is indeed a great actress and her acting is once again very good. With 'The Dirty Picture' she has climbed up the popularity charts in Bihar," he added (less)

Parineeti, who features in Ladies v/s Ricky Bahl, was the latest YRF discovery. Initially, the industry was abuzz with speculation that Anushka would star opposite Boney Kapoor's son Arjun in Habib Faisal's next.

But now we hear that Parineeti has been considered for the role. A source told Mumbai Mirror, "YRF has decided that Parineeti is apt for the role.

Habib Faisal is also very keen to work with Parineeti. Ditto for Aditya Chopra, who always takes most of the final decisions in YRF.

An official announcement will be made in this regard very soon." Before she was signed up for Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl , Parineeti used to work in the marketing section of YRF Films.

However, Aditya Chopra felt she was actress material. "Parineeti is doing an excellent job in Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl.

She has good acting abilities. She fits the role in Habib's film perfectly," added the source.

When contacted, the YRF spokesperson said, "Anushka was never an option as the role needs a new girl. No final decision has been taken yet.

We shall make an announcement as soon as we finalise the cast." (less)

The film starred Adah and newcomer Rajneesh Duggal as the married couple. Now, she would be essaying a clairvoyant in Bhatt's upcoming film.

"I was sure that I wanted to start with a movie that would focus on me and that I get a fantastic role. Sometimes, there are people in the industry for ten years and they don't get any scope for performance.

..

and I think without having a 'filmi' backing I got to do that in my first film so whether it was supernatural or thriller or comedy did not matter to me," Adah told PTI. On the risk of restricting herself to this genre and getting typecast, Adah said, "I did not think much about all this.

I don't think these days people block their minds and say that this girl did horror film and cannot look beautiful." "A lot of people said that I will never get to play a pretty girl or happy character.

But today I am endorsing lot of big brands like Nokia with Sharman Joshi then Limca and Parachute who have signed me for two years and also Olay," she said. The 22-year-old actress says her debut film, 1920 had changed the perception of the industry people.

"I remember for 1920 , Vikram Sir had asked if I was fine looking ugly and I said okay. I even told him I am ready to look old.

Industry people got to know that I am fine experimenting with looks..

. black spots or whatever I am ready to do it," Adah said.

In her second film, Adah would be sharing screen again with Rajneesh and television actress Roshni Chopra. In Phhir Adah essays the role of Disha, who sets out to help a doctor (Rajneesh) with clues that take him closer to unravel the mystery of his missing lawyer wife (Roshni).

"I play a young girl who is not attractive. You will see me covered from head to toe exposing only my fingers and you cannot see any curve in my body.

My eyes have a deadpan look. I even walk with a slight hunch throughout the film.

There is an element of mystery that shrouds my character," Adah said. She says the role of Disha was quite challenging.

"It was quite tough. As in real life I am very happy person and use my hands and eyes often as I am Kathak dancer.

I had to be very still and even if I have to cry only one drop should come out..

. no expression.

I don't smile in the entire movie. So it was very difficult to stay still all the while," Adah said.

"For my role in Phhir I meditated..

. my mother is a yoga teacher, she taught me meditation," she said.

Directed by Girish Dhamika, the film releases on August 12. Tweet (less)

"Being a part of the movie means a lot to me. For the first time, I am playing a north Indian character, a Haryanvi," the actress said on arrival at Mumbai airport Thursday.

The Murder girl was happy to see that members of the cast and crew of the film had come to receive her. "My entire cast is here.

What better welcome than this. It's such a pleasant surprise.

I had never imagined that I will get such a surprise," said Mallika who recently featured in a Hollywood film titled Politics Of Love . Reportedly, Mallika wants producer Sanjay Khanduri to wrap up the shoot in three months as she has commitments in Hollywood.

Her last Bollywood film was Double Dhamaal . Tweet (less)

The reason being the New Years Eve gives her the biggest opportunity to mint money (perhaps more that she earns in the entire year). So Mallika Sherawat, who started the trend of celebrities giving scintillating performances at 5-star hotels on New Years Eve, is back at her benchmark business.

This year too she will be giving a sexy-hot performance at a suburban 5-star hotel on the Jalebi Bai item song (her only claim to fame this year). But beyond her numbers, Mallika Sherawat has also claimed that she will be dancing on to the Tamil song ' Kolaveri Di ' which has almost become a national craze by now.

She seems to be much inspired by Dhanush's song but one wonders what scope does the slow number leave for a dancing act by Mallika? However, what needs to be seen is whether Mallika will be dancing to her recent popular South number ' Kala Sala ' from Osthi , which is the South remake of Salman Khan's Dabangg. Of course, you guessed it right that Mallika's Kala Sala is answer to Malaika's Munni Badnaam Hui .

And the rate at which the song is turning popular since its release on youtube, it is said to be Mallika's answer to Kolaveri Di . Well audiences would anytime prefer to see Mallika Sherawat in her answer to Kolaveri Di (the ' Kala Sala ' item number) over Kolaveri Di per se.

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Having a repertoire of around 300 films in Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi and Kannada, Aruna Irani has won the Filmfare Award twice in the Best Supporting Actor category. In an exclusive conversation with Gaurav Malani, the versatile actress speaks about her film career spanning more than five decades.

Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award I was dumbfounded when I was told I was chosen for the Lifetime Achievement Award. Esp.

because I am not doing any films as such these days. It was really nice and kind of Filmfare to remember me and consider me for such an honour.

The award kind of made me feel I am not so bad after all (laughs). One might know that they are good at their work but the recognition should come from others.

That's what made me really happy! Debuting at 10 I was just 10 years old when around 500 children from our society were going for an audition. I was least interested because I thought what would I get going there.

But then we were told there would be wafers and coke served and I got excited. Certain of not being selected, I was sitting aloof on a bench, munching wafers when I heard a voice saying 'aye ladki, idhar aao' (hey girl, come here).

I turned to see Dilip Kumar saab calling me. I was surprised.

I wiped my face and touched his feet. And before I knew I got a role in Ganga Jamna.

"My father wanted a son" We came from a very humble background and my father was a poor man. I was eldest amongst eight brothers and sisters and my father always wished his eldest child should have been a son who could have taken care of his younger siblings.

So I started working in films to support my family and not with the dreams of being a big star. I had dreams of marrying a Prince Charming and settling down in life but things weren't as easy.

But thanks to that responsibility of mine and my good fortune that today I am a known figure. Else I would have died like any ordinary woman.

When you are pushed in water, you somehow learn to swim. That was the case with me.

My family is largely responsible for what I am today. I credit my success to them.

Supporting Actress over Lead Heroine My responsibilities towards my family never gave me the time to be the leading lady. I couldn't afford to wait for months to get the right role for the main lead.

I had a family to look after and had to get enough work to make ends meet. But when I look back at it today, I never regret at my decision.

Had I been a heroine, for how long would I have survived - 10 or 15 years at the most? I believe God has his own plans for everybody. The Wicked Vamp If you eat biryani everyday, you won't relish its taste anymore.

It's important to have dal chawal in between (smiles). I am lucky to get the opportunity to play diverse characters.

Whether leading actress, supporting characters, motherly roles, emotional roles or vamp - it was fun to do different stuff and kill the monotony. I would say I started enjoying acting when I learnt acting.

And I believe it came to me much late - maybe by then I was 32 or 34. The Dancing Queen I was never trained in dancing nor could I afford to attend any classes.

So dancing was the last thing I could think of doing. Dance director Suresh Bhatt played an important role in getting the best out of me.

He recommended my name for the role in Caravan. Now he couldn't let himself down and so ensured that I gave my best.

He used to give me some movements and allowed me to do it my way. The one thing he always told me was to keep a smiling face while dancing.

Favourite Directors I really admired K Vishwanath with whom I did a film called Aurat. Rekha and I worked in that film and would go on sets even when we didn't have to shoot.

Being an actor himself, Vishwanathji used to enact the scene for us and it never felt he was acting. He was the only director who had a natural approach to filmmaking.

K Vishwanath and Hrishida (Hrishikesh Mukherjee) always made very soft films. Favourite Films Mili, Caravan, Beta, Raja Babu, Qurbani and Sankoch "Today, heroes and heroines hardly have parents in films" There are hardly any good roles for us today.

The last mother character I remember in films was perhaps Jaya Bachchan in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Ghum or Farida Jalal in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. The problem is that in today's films, the hero and heroine hardly have parents.

I am not saying that they are bad films but senior actors hardly have anything substantial to do in films. In our times, films had chacha, chachi, mama, mami and so many more of them.

There are no more extended joint families in films. Shifting to the small screen Television gives us the kind of roles we wish to play at such age.

It's fabulous working for TV. The only problem is that television has deadlines, which makes life a little difficult.

Once you are committed to a show, you are dead for a couple of years. You don't have any holiday and you work round the clock.

Ageing actresses like me do need a break once in a while. But other than that I love TV.

"TV keeps the actress in me alive" I play a very strong character of Rajmata in 'Dekha Ek Khwab' and a very simple and lighthearted character in 'Laxmi Tere Aangan Ki'. Television keeps the actress in me alive (less)

And now we hear that Akshay Kumar called Abhishek to apologise for the same. A source revealed, "Akshay said 'Sorry' to Abhishek.

He respects Aishwarya and the Bachchan family a lot. He is naturally very embarrassed about Russell's remarks.

" Apparently, Kumar, who made the call last weekend, took Abhishek by surprise. "It was definitely not Akshay's fault.

It was a very kind gesture on Akshay's part. Abhishek told him to take it easy.

After the call, Akshay felt a lot lighter," added the source. When previously contacted, Virmani told Mumbai Mirror, "I have no control over what Russell says.

What he says is not reflective of our opinion or what the film is all about. Aishwarya is a fantastic actress and a legend.

I apologise for his comments." Despite repeated attempts, both Akshay and Abhishek, remained unavailable for comment (less)

The 88-year-old versatile actor-filmmaker, who died in London last night, will be remembered for his swagger, which continue to find imitations till date. When his contemporaries like Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar stopped playing the leading men in movies, Dev Anand did not lose his innate romantic spirit and continued to woo his young heroines with trademark puff of hair, his sloping walk and smile in movies like Johnny Mera Naam, Des Pardes , Hare Rama Hare Krishna among others.

The actor-director-producer was working till his last. His latest project Chargsheet is ready to release and he was planning a extention of his cult hit Hare Rama Hare Krishna .

But there will be no Dev saab, as he was popularly addressed as by friends and fans, to complete them. In his last interview to PTI in September on his 88th birthday, Dev Anand said that he had still a lot to offer.

"My life is the same and I am at a beautiful stage at 88. I am as excited as I was in my 20s.

I have so many things to do and I am looking forward to the release of Chargesheet . "I am working on a fresh script titled Hare Rama Hare Krishna Aaj on audience's demand.

" His films spoke of his modern sensibilities and desire to portray tomorrow's headlines today. The Bollywood legend always said that his films were expression of his world view and hence dealt with socially-relevant subjects.

His recent movies focused on the themes of present times like Awwal Number, Sau Crore, Censor, Mr Prime Minister and the latest Chargesheet where he played central characters. Even though after Awwal Number , his movies did not do well at the box office, the evergreen hero's mantra was always to think positive.

"I never give myself a chance to get depressed. I think ahead," he would say.

There has always been a hint of romance and intrigue in Dev Anand's personal and professional life which perhaps made him so popular. In 2007, he released his memoirs Romancing with Life where he admitted he has never looked back in his life, always preferring to remain optimistic and confident about future.

Born Dharamdev Pishorimal Anand in Gurdaspur of undivided Punjab to a well-to-do advocate Pishorimal Anand on September 26, 1923, he graduated in English literature from the Government Law College in Lahore. He was the second of three brothers born to Kishorimal Anand.

Dev's younger sister is Sheela Kanta Kapur, who is mother of Shekhar Kapur. His older brother was Chetan Anand and younger one was Vijay Anand.

Love for acting made him leave his hometown and arrive in Mumbai (then Bombay), where he began earning Rs 160 a month at the military censor office at Churchgate reading letters written by soldiers to their families. His first breakthrough Hum Ek Hain in 1946, with Pune's Prabhat studios, did little to boost his film career.

He struck a friendship with fellow actor Guru Dutt and they made a pact: if Dev produced a film, Guru Dutt would direct and if Guru Dutt produced a film, Dev would act in it. Dev Anand was offered his first big break by Ashok Kumar, who picked him up as the lead actor for Bombay Talkies production Ziddi co-starring Kamini Kaushal in 1948 which became a success.

In 1949, Dev Anand turned producer and launched his own company Navketan. As promised, he signed his friend Guru Dutt to direct the crime thriller 'Baazi' (1951).

This creative collaboration was a success. In the late forties Dev Anand got a few offers to star opposite singer-actress Suraiya, an established actress of that time.

While shooting these films, he became romantically involved with Suraiya. The two of them were paired in seven films together -- Vidya (1948), Jeet (1949), Shair (1949), Afsar (1950), Nili (1950) Do Sitare (1951) and Sanam (1951), all successful at the box office.

In these films Suraiya was always first billed in credits to imply she was a bigger star than Dev Anand. She fell in love with him during the shooting of the song Kinare kinare chale jayen ge while shooting "Vidya", where during the shooting, a boat capsized and Dev Anand saved Suraiya from drowning.

On the sets of the film Jeet , Dev Anand finally proposed to Suraiya but her maternal grandmother opposed the relationship as they were Muslim and Dev Anand Hindu, and so, Suraiya remained unmarried all her life. He was offered his first big break by Ashok Kumar.

He spotted Dev hanging around in the studios and picked him as the hero for the Bombay Talkies production, Ziddi in 1948, which became an instant success. Always the one to think ahead, Dev Anand decided to start producing films after Zinddi's success.

In 1949, Dev Anand turned producer and launched his own company Navketan which till 2011 has produced 31 films. His trademark style of dialogue delivery, an array of hats and a penchant for nodding while speaking became Dev Anand's style in films like Munimji, CID and Paying Guest .

His style was lapped by the audience and widely imitated. Taxi Driver (1954) and CID (1956) saw him portraying living in the urban underbelly.

He broke new grounds, playing a smuggler in Jaal , absconding gang member in Dushman , blackmarketeer in Kalabazaar and a murderer in Bombay Ka Babu . Still, critics accused him of being more style than substance.

But, Dev Anand proved his detractors wrong - first with a class act in Kala Paani (1958). Then came Hum Dono (1961) and he finally sealed all doubts with a nuanced performance in "Guide" (1966).

In 1970s, his success story continued with Johnny Mera Naam . "Jewel Thief", directed by younger brother Vijay Anand, was another feather in his cap.

Honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2002, Dev Anand had also been politically active. He led a group of film personalities, who stood up against the 1975 Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

He actively campaigned against her with his supporters in 1977 Parliamentary elections. He also floated a political outfit, National Party of India, which he later disbanded.

Tweet (less)

So much so, she's mighty upset with reports that she has planted one on Vivek Oberoi's lips in their forthcoming film Kismat Love Paisa Dilli . She is upset that the makers are using her name to get the film more attention.

An angry Mallika says, "There is no kiss in the film. But if the makers of the movie are so desperate for it then they will have to get a lip double".

We wonder if she would have the same policy for her Hollywood projects ? (less)

She took this job very seriously because she did not want to let her parents down. She also took it up because she wanted to pull her family out of one of the rockiest patches - financially and emotionally - ever.

Fifteen years hence and innumerable awards and accolades later, her life looks like a fairy tale or a Bollywood script that could not have been written any better. In an industry where the shelf life of an actress is getting shorter by the month - even as actors rule the roost for two decades or more - Rani has seen her fair share of ups and downs that have taught her valuable lessons.

In the last few years, she has faltered in terms of choice of films. But one thing that she hasn't forgotten is to do her job well, i.

e. to act.

She takes it up as seriously as she did during the mahurat shot of "Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat" as a 16-year-old. But today, there's more passion than ever, and a mastery of her craft that compels you to appreciate her skills as an actress, even if you aren't her die-hard fan.

After the success of "No One Killed Jessica" early last year, she is awaiting her next two releases this year - the Reema Kagti-directed thriller "Talaash", with Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap's quirky comedy "Aiyya" directed by National Award winning director Sachin Kundalkar. We ask the 'Queen of Bollywood' about the journey during which her job turned into her passion, the girl Rani morphed into the woman who rules hearts and, of course, a certain someone she "is dating".

What are you doing these days? I've just returned from Lonavala where I was shooting for "Aiyya". A few songs are left.

Has the industry changed since you joined films? Immensely. Today, the first look of the film is almost as important as the film itself.

I'm eagerly waiting for the promos of "Talaash", which are to hit the screens soon. It's going to be released in June.

The fact that I'm doing two films that are as different as they can be, in the same year, speaks volumes about how times have changed. It's a far bigger, more diverse than ever industry that's gone global in terms of its scope in every possible way.

Did you always want to become an actress? Arre, my joining films is a poori filmi kahaani. Though I technically come from a film family, my father had stopped making films even before my brother and I were born.

So I did not really grow up in a filmi environment. And when I was growing up, becoming an actress was still quite a taboo.

And you may not believe this but even my father did not want me to join films. Salim (Akhtar) uncle, who was very close to my family, came with the offer of "Aa Gale Lag Jaa" in 1994, but my father was aghast and turned it down.

In the meantime, I joined college (SNDT, Juhu) pursuing Home Science. Those days, the 'in thing' that most girls were going after as a career choice was jewelery and interior designing.

I did not have the money to pursue a `3 lakh course to make a career. And then Salim uncle came back again.

I think he must have been pretty desperate to launch a new actress. This time, he managed to convince my parents.

How did he manage that? (Laughs) When Salim uncle came to me and said he wanted me to act in his film, I started crying. I thought he was making a pass at me.

..

Why on earth..

.? Because I was daft.

And the fact that in those days, acting was still considered a taboo for the girls in my family. My mom's side was okay with it, as my aunt (Bengali actress Debashree Roy) is an actress.

In fact, she had kept it from me till then, but she was seriously harboring dreams of me becoming an actress. My father was still adamant about me not joining films.

But by that time my second cousins, Kajol and Sharbani, had entered films. And that sort of paved the way for me.

My mother and father still fought over it for quite a few days before he finally agreed to give me at least one shot at it - of course, with the strict clause that my mom will accompany me everywhere. And you? Did you know anything about acting by then? I wish I could show you the recording of my first screen test.

You will literally sprint away from the room thinking 'who is this horrible actress?' What was so bad? Those days, I used to be quite chubby. And Salim uncle, who had done "Baazi" with Mamta Kulkarni a few years ago, fished those shorter-than-short and tighter-than-tight clothes that looked completely hideous on me.

And to top that, I had to act! I was a shy kid with inhibitions galore. It was some courtroom scene and when someone gave me the sheet with dialogues, I was dumbfounded.

I saw all these famous dialogues from famous films which I had to say in front of the camera. My understanding of films was just as much as any young girl who watches Bollywood films.

I had no idea about the whole process of filmmaking, about dialogue writing, scripts, screenplay etc. I had probably gone to two or three film shoots in my childhood.

And even when on a shoot as a young girl, I would find actors just giving their shots and sitting in their vans getting bored in-between shots. So when the whole picture opened up in front of me about the reality of becoming an actress, I was petrified.

And my screen test was a disaster. I came back crying and said 'I would not be able to do this - anything but acting! Then? But Salim uncle came back and said I had a photogenic face and the camera captured me quite well, which is very important for any actor.

That was one glimmer of hope in my otherwise nightmarish experience. My mother sat me down that night and told me, 'Opportunity knocks at your door just once, take it up.

What's the worst that could happen? You'll fail at your effort? We are there after that. But at least you'd know you have tried, and won't regret leaving this golden opportunity'.

And though it was never told to me, but I knew my family was going through a financial crisis. And there was also tension in the family because of a lot of bickering between my father and his brothers.

I decided that I would work very hard (there was a month left for the shoot of "Raja Ki..

.") and give myself one good shot, even if it did not work out in the end.

I took it up as a job that just had to be done. What happened in that one month for you to give that spirited performance? My father took me to join Roshan Taneja's acting classes.

Mr Taneja had two courses, one was a year-long one and the other a three-month one. I had to learn all the acting I could in one month.

I told Mr Taneja I would come in the morning and evening for a month and be a dedicated student. On the very first day, my dad said to him, 'Please teach my daughter how to act'.

Mr Taneja said, 'Acting isn't a tablet. You can't pop it and become an actress.

It has to come from within you. It's either deep within you or it's not there'.

His statement stayed with me for a long time. It was my first lesson.

But in the classes, I did not know where to start. Thankfully, one good thing was the improvisation classes - where we all had to face the camera and say whatever came to our mind and enact a scene.

It sort of broke through my shy exterior. In any acting class, there are always a lot of faces looking at you from all corners and that's done on purpose so that the person drops all his/her inhibitions.

On the day of the mahurat, when I was called to give my first shot, I thought, 'yaar, I can't let my parents down. I just have to give it my best'.

And then, when I walked into the shot, I was this confident, fiery ball of energy, spouting dialogues like I had never imagined I would. I haven't looked back since that day.

And how did this job eventually become your passion? That happened later when I started getting fan mails. I was doing a lot of films.

But my fans kept on writing that they were not happy with me. So I wondered 'Arre, I am working 72 hours at a stretch, not eating right, not getting enough sleep, giving my best to each shot, so what was going wrong?' Then I realized that after "Ghulam" and "Kuch Kuch Hota Hain", my fans' expectations of me were higher than my own.

That's when I learnt my second lesson - that it's not just performing, I also had to know good scripts from the not-so-good ones. I started getting more involved in the whole process; understanding films beyond just acting.

During this whole process, acting became my passion. Coming back to the present, what went wrong in the last couple of years before "No One Killed Jessica" last year? You had some consecutive flops after a spate of hits, and suddenly you just vanished.

..

(Snaps her fingers and says with a smile) Don't worry, from this year, you'll see me in two films every year at least. Coming back to your question, I had seen failures before but when those three films ("Laaga Chunri Mein Daag", "Thoda Pyaar, Thoda Magic" and "Dil Bole Hadippa") failed in quick succession, it affected me in a way no flop had before.

My confidence was completely shattered. All my movies failed to make a mark with audiences and critics alike.

Maybe the critics thought 'we've praised her enough, now it's time for her to fall a bit hard, so she steps her game up' (smiles). I also think I was plain unlucky.

The audience has little memory of what you have done before or are capable of doing. What matters is today.

So three flops probably told them 'Rani has worked so well in the last few years, maybe it's time she took a back seat and settled down'. And are you settling down? (Smile that says read-my-expression-if-you-can) When I plan to settle down, I will announce it to the world.

Marriage is an occasion to celebrate. I'll celebrate it when it happens, letting everyone know about it.

What about the rumors of your relationship with Aditya Chopra? I have been linked with so many of my co-stars and this Aditya rumor has stayed with me for the longest time. This time, I'm going to give you the cliched answer no journalist wants to hear, 'No comments'.

Are you dating someone? Yes, I am dating, but that's as far as I'm willing to talk about my personal life. Your fans want to know about your personal life? They want to know if marriage is on the cards.

They will know when the time comes. Right now, I have two movies coming out and that's what I'm going to talk about.

Are you saying nothing is serious as far as your dating goes? In a relationship, there are two people involved. Since I'm a public figure, if I start answering questions, it'll open doors for more questions, speculations, gossips, and then it comes to a point where every day someone has something to say about your personal life.

It's unfair to the other person. I do not mind a bitchy comment about the way I dress or my films, but a comment on my private space isn't welcome.

Are you a romantic? I'm a born romantic. I romanticize everything in life.

My personal life is full of love and romance. God's given us one life.

You should romance it. It's not always nice and cool to be practical and logical.

What have your relationships/ heartbreaks taught you? I haven't been in a lot of relationships. Heartbreak definitely teaches you to be a better actor.

Don't they say, an artiste always performs better when he or she has experienced heartbreak? (Laughs) That was a joke. I don't give that much importance to men.

All my heartbreaks have been because of close friends, and not men. Seriously? (On a serious note) Heartbreak, anger, frustration - if you can overcome these emotions, you become a better person.

If you're a person of substance, you'll overcome your bad times. Who wants to be a loser? Will you marry an actor? No, two megalomaniacs can't exist in the same house.

We'll end up killing each other. What's the best thing about being in a relationship? (Enigmatic smile) That you can hide it.

And the best part of getting married is that you can announce it to the world. What about the fact that today the shelf life of actresses is low? Would you ever decide to do an item number or attend red carpet events as visibility is important these days? No.

Because for me, it's important to cement an impression of my work. Acting is what I do best.

It's not difficult to be in the public eye. Go anywhere and you'll find the media.

I am not trying to sound high and mighty here. If I was being launched today, I would do exactly what newcomers do these days.

But after 15 years in the course of which I have firmly established my credentials as an actress, I plan to only focus on acting. But if friends call me, I'll be there.

Like I went to Farah's (Khan) house-warming party recently. Aamir (Khan) and Kiran (Rao) had a son and going there was important for me because he is someone who is very dear to me.

As are Shah Rukh Khan and Karan (Johar). Have you spoken to Abhishek after he became a father? We aren't in touch on the phone, but whenever I come across him, I will definitely congratulate him.

It's great news. What did that low phase in your life teach you? When I was joining films, my dad had told me, 'Don't ever be disheartened with failure and don't be over-excited with success'.

This is an important lesson in any actor's life. But can you really separate your emotions as professional and personal in your mind? Hurt is hurt, disappointment is disappointment.

..

That's where your family and your strength as an individual come in. I am very close to my family.

And I have other interests, like baking. I started baking in one of my very low phases in life.

I find it therapeutic. So, would we see a Rani Mukerji patisserie soon? You could.

I'm serious about going to Paris or Chicago for a fulltime patisserie course. Any other venture in mind? A lot of actresses are starting their own fashion lines.

Or maybe even film production..

. No.

The only thing I will be producing next is babies. No other production happening with me.

Is there a lot of bitching/backbiting in the industry? There is, but that's true of any industry where over-competitive minds are always at work. But it is blown out of proportion in ours because it's the glamor industry.

Have you been at the receiving end of bitching? People say bitchy things about other people to feel good about themselves. Whatever I have got in life has been a huge blessing.

I've never gone after something that's not mine. Today, I am sitting at my office in Juhu, overlooking the sea.

I used to live in a shack before. I used to travel in rickshaws.

Today, I have a Mercedes. But if I start thinking, 'I have a bungalow, why not a building in Bandra tomorrow? Or now, I have a car, why not a yacht next?' my life will be difficult.

My mind doesn't work that way. The only ambition I have is to pick up interesting scripts and give a stellar performance that'll be etched in the audiences' and my fans' minds (less)

POPULAR AWARDS Best Actor: Ranbir Kapoor for Rockstar Award presented by: Rekha and Yash Chopra to Ranbir Kapoor "I've grown up wanting a Best Actor Award. This is my fourth award.

Every dream seems to be becoming a reality. It feels great.

Thank you Imtiaz. I love you, Sir.

Thank you for giving me hope and inspiration. Thank you for giving me Rockstar.

And I'll see you at the Movies." - Ranbir Kapoor on winning the award.

Best Actress: Vidya Balan for The Dirty Picture Award presented by: Sridevi and Boney Kapoor to Vidya Balan. "It has been a night where women have shone, This award goes out to the women in my life.

..

This award goes out to every woman. And of course everyone on the team of The Dirty Picture especially Milan Luthria.

" - Vidya Balan on winning the Best Actress Award. Best Film: Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara Award presented by: Madhuri Dixit Best Director: Zoya Akhtar for Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara Award presented by: Subhash Ghai to Zoya Akhtar Best Dialogue: Farhan Akhtar for Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

Award presented by: Chitrangada Singh to Farhan Akhtar . "This feels really good.

Zoya, Reena thank you for writing this amazing story and screenplay. Thank you to every actor for making every dialogue your own.

A big thanks to my dad for writing the beautiful poetry in the movie that gave the dialogues that extra edge."- Farhan Akhtar on winning the Filmfare Award for Best Dialogue Best Screenplay: Akshat Verma for Delhi Belly Award presented by: Kabir Bedi and Kalki Koechlin Abhinav Deo, who collect it on Akshat behalf Best Story: Sanjay Chauhan for I Am Kalam Award presented by: Prateik Babbar and Amy Jackson to Sanjay Chauhan "I'd like to thank Kalam saab.

Nila Madhav Panda, my director and the entire team of I Am Kalam. I'd like to thank my daughter and my wife.

" - Sanjay Chauhan on winning the award. Best Actor (Critics) Award: Ranbir Kapoor for Rockstar Thank you critics.

Thank you Imtiaz. Without you nothing would've been possible.

The cast and crew. The Producers.

Rahman Saab. And everyone who has worked on this movie.

" - Ranbir Kapoor on winning the award Best Actress (Critics) Award: Priyanka Chopra for 7 Khoon Maaf Award presented by: Juhi Chawla and Shankar come to Priyanka Chopra . "This black lady is the most coveted lady ever, and I have the entire team of 7 Khoon Maaf to thank for that.

A big thanks to my family. Thank you Filmfare, the entire team.

And thank you the film industry for believing in me." - Priyanka Chopra on winning the award.

Best Film (Critics) Award: Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara Award presented by: Mr. Balram Garg (PC Jewellers) and Bipasha Basu to Zoya Akhtra, Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani.

Zoya Akhtra, Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani come to collect the award. "It's difficult to get a balance between the critics and box office.

Zoya managed that for us. I thank the entire team of ZNMD.

Thank you Filmfare. Thank you Times of India.

Thank you Eros." - Ritesh Sidhwani "I want to thank my cast and crew.

Since this is the mother of all awards, I'm going to dedicate it to mine." - Zoya Akhtar, Director - ZNMD Best Supporting Actor (Male) Award: Farhan Akhtar for Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara Award presented by: Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar to Farhan Akhtar.

"Thank you Filmfare, thank you jury for selecting this performance. I would like to thank Naseer for all the support.

..

thank you Zoya, Reema, Ritesh, mom, Audhana..

. Thank you very much.

" - Farhan Akhtar on winning the award. Best Supporting Actor (Female) Award: Rani Mukerji for 'No One Killed Jessica' Award presented by: Mr.

Ramesh Taurani to Vidya Balan and director Raj Kumar Gupta, since Rani Mukherji is not present. (Also check : Filmfare Awards 2011 Nominations ) SPECIAL FILMFARE AWARD: Partho Gupte for Stanley Ka Dabba Award presented by: Mukesh Bhatt and Mansvi to Partho Gupte LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Karan Johar comes on stage to announce the Lifetime Ahievement Award winner - Aruna Irani.

Mr. Ramesh Sippy and Raveena Tandon present the award to Aruna Irani.

"Good evening. This is a very touching moment of my life; it's the happiest moment of my life.

Thank you Filmfare for giving recognition to my work. Thank you Dilip Kumar saab for introducing me to the wonderful world of films at the age of 9 years.

The industry taught me acting, dance, work, and gave an uneducated woman like me a platform. I came into the industry to execute a responsibility.

I'd like to thank my family. My husband.

My brothers. My fans.

Thank you Filmfare for this immense happiness. God, you're very kind.

" - Aruna Irani on winning the Lifetime Achievement Award Idea Sony Scene of the Year Award: The Dirty Picture Award presented by: Manjit Singh and NP Singh of Sony to Vidya Balan, who comes on behalf of the producers of The Dirty Picture to accept the award FILMFARE MUSIC AWARDS Best Music Director Award: AR Rahman for Rockstar Award presented by: Abhishek Bachchan and Deepika Padukone to AR Rahman Trivia: This is the 2500th Filmfare Trophy to be given away. It's a diamond studded trophy designed by PC Jewellers.

"I want to thank Imtiaz, and all the singers of Rockstar, and everyone who has worked on the music along with me." - AR Rahman on winning the award.

Best Lyrics Award: Irshad Kamil for 'Nadaan Parindey' of Rockstar Award presented by: Anu Malik and Anuradha Paudwal to Irshad Kamil Best Playback (Male) Award: Mohit Chauhan for 'Jo Bhi Mein' from Rockstar "Thank you so much. It's really special tonight over here.

I want to thank my parents back home in Himachal. I want to thank Rahman saab for creating such awesome songs for Rockstar.

I want to thank Imtiaz for his vision of Jordan , Ranbir Kapoor, Irshad for writing such wonderful lyrics..

. Thank you.

" - Mohit Chauhan on winning the award Best Playback (Female) Award: Rekha Bhardwaj and Usha Uthup for 'Darling' of 7 Khoon Maaf Award presented by: Imtiaz Ali and Urmila Matondkar to Usha Uthup and accepts the award on behalf of Rekha, too and breaks down. "Thank you Filmfare, the mother of all awards in India.

In 42 years, this is my first award! It's unbelievable for me. Thank you to all the music directors, to my family for letting me grow, thank you to Vishal Bhardwajji" - an emotional Usha Uthup on winning the award.

RD Burman Award for Best upcoming Talent: Krishna for Tanu weds Manu Award presented by: Bhushan Kumar and Alka Yagnik to Krishna. Best Choreography: Bosco-Caesar for 'Senorita', Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara "I'd love to thank Zoya, Carlos, Hrithik, Abhay, my wife, my son, Farhan Akhtar.

Id' like to thank my younger brother and partner, Bosco": Caesar "Mom, we got this the Black Beauty is ours": Bosco Best Background Score: Ranjit Barot for Shaitan Award presented by: Sonali Bendre and Goldie Behl to Bijoy Nambiar, who collects the award on Ranjit's behalf. FILMFARE DEBUT AWARDS Best Debut Director Award: Abhinay Deo for Delhi Belly Award presented by: Madhur Bhandarkar and Hasleen Kaur to Abhinay Deo.

Best Debut (Male) Award: Vidyut Jamwal for Force Award presented by: Chunky Pandey and Kajal Aggarwal to Vidyut Jamwal. "I'm speechless.

I'm very happy. Everyone who comes to Mumbai hopes he gets a good movie.

I got that. A good producer, I got that.

A good director, I got that. Then you want the film to make a hit, it was a hit, Then you want an award, I got that.

I would like to thank Nishikant Kamat and a lot of other people, whom I will personally thank tonight." - Vidyut Jamwal on winning the award.

Best Debut (Female) Award: Parineeti Chopra for Ladies vs Ricky Bahl Award presented by: Mr. Amrish Jain (Idea Cellular) and Dia Mirza to Parineeti.

"I told myself that if I won today, I wouldn't cry, but I can't help myself. Thank You the whole team of Ladies vs Ricky Bahl, my family.

This is my sixth award this season, and it's so motivating. I'm going to work very hard.

I've grown up watching the Filmfare Awards and to hold one now is an out of the world experience." - Parineeti Chopra on winning the award.

FILMFARE TECHNICAL AWARDS Best Action: Mathhias Barsch for Don 2. Producer Ritesh Sidhwani collects the award on his behalf.

Ritesh dedicates the award to Priyanka's stunt double Bibi who died under unfortunate circumstances. Best Cinematography: Carlos Catalan for Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara Award presented by: Mr.

Shashi Shankar (Idea Cellular) and Mahie Gill to Carlos Catalan. "I'm very nervous.

I'd like to thank my producers, Zoya: she's great fun to work with. I'd like to thank my Indian and Spanish crew"- Carlos Catalan on winning the award Best Editing: Huzefa Lokhandwala for Delhi Belly Abhinay Deo collects the award on his behalf.

Best Production Design: Shashank Tere for Delhi Belly Award presented by: Kunal Kohli and Neha Dhupia to Shashank Tere for Delhi Belly. Shashank isn't here, and Jim the co-writer of the movie collects it on his behalf.

Best Sound Design: Nakul Kamte for Don 2 Award presented by: Sarah Jane Dias presents the award to Farhan Akhtar. Nakul wasn't here to collect the award but sent an acceptance speech with Farhan in case he won.

And win he did! Best Costume Design Award: The first Award of the night has been declared. Niharika Khan for The Dirty Picture Thank you Filmfare, thank you Vidya for letting make me take your clothes off.

Thank you to the actors who let me keep their clothes on: Nasseruddin Shah and the entire cast. Thank you Milan.

Thank you my husband and children for letting me do my job. - Niharika Khan on winning the award.

Also check : Filmfare Awards 2011 Nominations (less)

Year 2011, however, has seen at least three critically acclaimed movies with child actors or children's movies - "Stanley Ka Dabba", "I Am Kalam" and "Chillar Party". With Children's Day round the corner, RT explores if the success of these movies giving reasons enough to be optimistic about the growing interest in India about this genre? Says Nila Madhab Panda, the director of "I Am Kalam", "Despite having a huge market, children's films in India are made with child-like sensibilities.

Why do we in India have to only rely on mythology while making children's movies? Why is it only the Bal Ganesh and Hanuman that inspires us to make movies for children? Can't we see how Majid Majidi has single-handledly transformed the way children's films are to be made? Year 2011 has seen a change in the approach of the industry towards making children's movies though I still feel that had our movies got the same push as the other big entertainers in India, they would have done even better. After "IAK" went on to become successful, I received so many offers from producers asking me if I had a script for a children's movie.

There was no interference and I was told that I could make a film just the way I want to." Panda, in fact, has begun shooting his next movie titled " Jal Bin Jal Pari" in Delhi.

"The English title is "The Desert Mermaid". It's an adventure thriller which I will be shooting in Rajasthan and Delhi.

Harsh Mayar (who did "IAK") will be shooting this movie again though the main lead is a new girl," Panda informs. Nitesh Tiwari, who directed "Chillar Party" along with Vikas Bahl, says, "Year 2011 can easily be termed as one of the best years for children's cinema in India.

Finally, children's films in India is getting what they deserve. That's a welcome sign since there is a dearth of good movies for children even though we have a market for it.

This is a very encouraging sign for producers and directors. Apart from "CP", "IAK" and "SKD", India also came up with some interesting animation films.

We were clear that "CP" would be a film that would be liked by both adults and kids and wanted to have child protagonists who were true to reality. Children today are no longer moved by a man falling on a banana peal.

Though I have not decided on my next project, I have a script with a child protagonist in mind." Director Amol Gupte, however, is not interested in the numbergame to suggest the growing interest in this genre.

"It's a tricky question. One has to deal with children's film with political correctness and not just as a form of entertainment.

The purpose of a film being made has to match with the process of making it too. One can't make a film on child labour and also have the child slogging it out for 12 hours shooting for it.

If we are so strict about the number of hours an animal can be used to shoot, how can we not be sensitive enough about child actors?" Gupte asks, adding, "When I shot with my son, Partho for "SKD", I made sure that he got his Sunday offs. We would shoot on Saturdays in a children's school.

After the film released, Partho must have got 40 offers to do interviews or act in movies. But he has not accepted all that.

Partho studies in Standard VI and comes for my classes on cinema. I don't want him to do anything that will take his innocence away from him.

" While Gupte is now shooting a film called "Papa" that is about sanity and insanity, his next movie will also focus on the concerns of children. "I have a script ready.

It is about financial inequality and how children who are not financially sound do not receive the new streams of educational content. My idea of education is to have a single umbrella for children with all abilities.

I don't appreciate this idea of segregation and non-inclusive teaching. Here in India, we have separate teaching modules for children who are differently abled.

That creates a segregation among teachers as well. A teacher for a special school ends up being a nurse and is often hellbent on making a patient out of a child.

Then, there is this overuse of the term "hyperactive" children. My script of this untitled movie keeps on growing.

I will be starting it next year." Trade analyst Taran Adarsh says, "Things are definitely opening up in terms.

Apart from "CP", even "Ra.One" definitely had targetted the kids as an important segment of the audience.

Producers and directors have realised that if they can target more and more children, it would also translate into more parents coming into the theatres. That's a very enouraging sign for the industry.

" (less)

And lots of TV actors are doing films so I feel the lines are very blurry between the two mediums. I want to do interesting work, whatever may be the medium.

..

be it films or TV or theatre," Roshni told PTI. Roshni shot to fame, after playing the role of 'Pia' in Ekta Kapoor's TV serial 'Kasamh Se' on Zee TV.

'Phirr', produced by Bhatt, is a suspense-romantic thriller. The film directed by Girish Dhamija, also features Rajneesh Duggal and Adah Sharma.

"I am thankful to Vikram, for giving me a break in Bollywood. The Bhatt camp is known for promoting new talent and I am sure this will help me go a long way in my acting career," Roshni said.

In the film, Roshni essays the role of Sia, an NRI lawyer, who marries a doctor, played by Rajneesh. "I am playing a role of an NRI girl who is living in Newcastle in England.

Rajneesh is playing my husband in the film. They are young a couple very much in love.

There is no love triangle in the film. And then you see that something happens that the girl goes missing.

There are twists and turns," she briefs about the film. When asked whether she believes in supernatural powers, Roshni says, "I believe in reincarnation.

I am interested to know about scientific experiments, past life, revenge and mythology. I believe we do reincarnate and I also believe in Karma whatever you do come back to you.

" The film releases on August 12. Tweet (less)

While solving a fight between two friends for an episode of UTV Stars' " Superstar Santa ", Asin revealed how her close-knit gang of girls gets insecure sometimes due to her success in Bollywood. The " Ghajini " actress has a group of six to seven female friends, who are like daughters to her parents.

As much as they are all close to each other, they get insecure that she can't meet them as often as they like due to her film commitments. There have also been times when this has led to misunderstandings amongst them, but Asin says she has always made it a point to clarify the matter before it got out of hand.

She even admitted that she says "sorry" though it may not be her fault, and that she she will continue to do so forever. The episode of "Superstar Santa", featuring Asin, will air Sunday (less)

"She's so pretty, we've seen all her films," gushed 21-year-old Preeti. After a substantial wait, Deepika welcomed us into a small meeting room in an entertainment channel's office where she was busy giving interviews.

Dressed in a fitted sequined cocktail dress, high heels and hair and make-up to boot, in the middle of the afternoon, seemed a little disorienting but did justice to her toned figure. Greeting us with a warm smile, she towered above everyone.

The star-struck twins started, "You look beautiful. How crazy has the promotion schedule been like?" With a smile and an exasperated expression said, "It's absolutely manic.

Yesterday we started our day in Chandigarh, took a charter plane to Ludhiana, made it to Amritsar by road before finally heading home. I optimistically called my trainer and told her I'll come in at 9 am.

But I barely made it out of bed. Sometimes it's relaxed, but sometimes many things need to be packed in into a month or two.

" "Which films did you really enjoy?" Deepika asked. "OSO and Break Ke Baad was our favourite," they said almost in unison.

The girls wanted to know how she felt debuting with Shah Rukh. "I was stunned.

I first met Farah while she was rehearsing for a song. She said, 'Lets see how you do.

The lead actor is SRK.' She had only seen me in a Himesh (Reshamiya) video before then.

At the time Shah Rukh was working on Chak de!, so I had a year to prepare. Once I knew it was him, I didn't want any other role, so I really worked hard.

I took Kathak classes, worked out. I remember the first time I met him, Farah took me to his house, and now things have changed, but back then, everything was white.

White sofa, curtains..

. and I in total Yash Chopra style, wore a white chicken suit with a chiffon dupatta, and tried to camouflage myself.

I pretended to be really cool, so I started flipping a book, but I was freaking out. I sat stiff as a board," she said, laughing.

Rati asked her how she felt being called the hottest girl on earth. Deepika replied nonchalantly, "It's nice to hear that but I'm not very conscious about it.

" "How and why did you switch from being a sportswoman to an actor?" asked Preeti. "I was very keen on being an actor.

If I saw Madhuri dance around in Switzerland, I liked to believe I could do it too. I wasn't fanatic about it; I wouldn't practise in front of a mirror.

So when the opportunity presented itself, I took it. But I'm very attached to sports.

I grew up going for practice everyday at 5 am, for four hours a day. Now that I feel like I have some influence, I like to support sports as much as possible," she said.

As they wrapped up, Rati asked, "Would you head to Hollywood?" Deepika replied, "I would like to, but offers here are so good that they really need to match up." (less)

Arivazhagan's first film, Eeram , the supernatural thriller, was a huge success at the box office. After that, he has been working on Vallinam with actor Nakul, who is playing the lead role in the movie.

But then, the team has taken a break as Nakul has had to complete his earlier commitments. Arivazhagan said, "Nakul had to complete shooting for director KS Adhiyaman.

So, we have just started the second schedule of shooting." While actress Bindu Madhavi was to play the female lead initially, Arivazhagan said he will be introducing a new girl, Mridula.

"She belongs to our state and can speak the language fluently as well." According to the director, Vallinam will be completely different from his first film.

"While Eeram was a supernatural thriller, Vallinam is about sports and Nakul plays a basketball player. The story completely revolves in and around Chennai," he added.

While 30 per cent of the film is already over, Arivazhagan said the movie will be completed by March. Vallinam is being produced by Aascar Films and Thaman has scored the music for the film.

Nakul will start shooting for Naan Rajavaga Pogiren directed by Vetrimaaran's assistant Prithvi Rajkumar after Vallinam . Tweet (less)

"I had no idea about either of them. For me, doing the film was more like an art project.

I just fell in love with the script the moment I heard it," says Nargis. The former model admits that making the switch from the ramp to the big screen wasn't easy either.

"It was very difficult initially; acting is a very intense job. It was difficult to adjust to the acting environment.

Moreover, I had to get used to being in a new environment without my friends or family. But I enjoyed it," she says, adding, "I remember spending 10 hours in the office , from Monday to Sunday, dubbing for my own scenes.

I did 5-10 scenes, but I don't know why they weren't taken. I was very upset that I didn't get to dub for myself.

" While Nargis is aware of the appreciation that has come her way for her role, her greatest admirer so far has been Ranbir. "He has seen how hard I worked on this project, and it's great if your co-star gives you credit," she says.

And though the actor is just one film old, she has already bagged three endorsements and kickstarted a brand war of sorts. Quiz her about snapping up deals for which actors Sonam Kapoor and Deepika Padukone were also under consideration, and she says, "I don't think I am taking over from anyone.

I have been doing ads for some time and this is not new to me." And if B-town buzz is to be believed, the newbie Nargis has been signed up to play the female villain in Rakesh Roshan's sequel to Krrish .

"I am not doing this right now. At the moment I am just taking my time," she clarifies (less)

I arrived on set the first without knowing a thing about acting,'' confesses the New York based girl. Imtiaz just asked me to do some reading with Ranbirand got me comfortable on set.

I write, I sow, I paint but I had no knowledge of acting.'' The shooting was completed and while she awaited the release of the film, Nargis was sent back to New York.

Nargis says, It is funny because I had gone home to the Big Apple for a few months and I wondered whether I should take acting classes. Some people advised me against it.

They said, 'It might change you; you might start thinking too much. However I went home and took a class.

When I sat in class it was everything I had learnt on set. I'm really blessed to have the opportunity to be in school while I was shooting my first film.

'' She goaded herself to go to the acting school for a few days. But she admits that,After a month I got bored in the acting class.

So I dropped out.'' (less)

A source reveals, "Mallika will definitely do a show on New Year's Eve,but she hasn't locked in any place yet." At the prices hotels offfer for New Year performances, they might as well get somene like Shakira, no? (less)

And lots of TV actors are doing films so I feel the lines are very blurry between the two mediums. I want to do interesting work, whatever may be the medium.

..

be it films or TV or theatre," Roshni told PTI. Roshni shot to fame, after playing the role of 'Pia' in Ekta Kapoor's TV serial 'Kasamh Se' on Zee TV.

'Phirr', produced by Bhatt, is a suspense-romantic thriller. The film directed by Girish Dhamija, also features Rajneesh Duggal and Adah Sharma.

"I am thankful to Vikram, for giving me a break in Bollywood. The Bhatt camp is known for promoting new talent and I am sure this will help me go a long way in my acting career," Roshni said.

In the film, Roshni essays the role of Sia, an NRI lawyer, who marries a doctor, played by Rajneesh. "I am playing a role of an NRI girl who is living in Newcastle in England.

Rajneesh is playing my husband in the film. They are young a couple very much in love.

There is no love triangle in the film. And then you see that something happens that the girl goes missing.

There are twists and turns," she briefs about the film. When asked whether she believes in supernatural powers, Roshni says, "I believe in reincarnation.

I am interested to know about scientific experiments, past life, revenge and mythology. I believe we do reincarnate and I also believe in Karma whatever you do come back to you.

" The film releases on August 12. Tweet (less)

Whatever roles he has done -be it films where he had to kiss his partner or fight in the rains -the audience can always identify with his emotions. There is an instant connect.

Even if Emraan is serenading a girl wearing a sharkskin jacket while driving a sports car, he makes the members in the audience believe that they too can do what Emraan is doing. In "Shanghai", I made Emraan play a character who represents this viewer whose icon is someone like Emraan Hashmi.

He is a small town guy eking out a living by being a photographer. He does odd jobs, isn't very well-read or articulate and has two or three press cards on him.

Basically, he is a man of all seasons. What's nice about Emraan is that he is a natural actor and has great comic timing.

He is sharp and his presence adds the laugh lines to "Shanghai". His character undergoes a transformation and by the time the film ends, he is finally facing his own reality.

You are the only director with whom Abhay Deol has done two movies. How did you see him evolve as an actor? Abhay is usually the black sheep in most of his films.

In "Shanghai", he is the core of conservative, middle class India who clings on to his patriotic belief that India has to take over China one day. I've known Abhay as a very spontaneous actor who doesn't rehearse much.

But in this film, Abhay was different. He was playing a Tamil Brahmin who is an IAS officer.

Abhay asked for a language coach and insisted that everyday, before we shot the scenes, he spent at least 40 minutes with him. He researched on IAS officers apart from interacting with two different Tamilians from different social classes.

He also got a book to learn Tamil alphabets. It's a tough task to speak in Tamil-accented Hindi without turning it into a caricature.

Your movie is based on Greek author Vassilis Vassilikos's novel titled Z, the rights of which you had purchased. There is a Costa-Gavras movie that has already been adapted from the same book.

How difficult does the scope of adaptation become in such cases? The organic difference between a book and a film is that while in the former we need to read what the character is going through and figure it out in our heads, the audience has to see those experiences in a movie. Ergonomically, a book often meanders in terms of the narrative.

A film, in contrast, has to be more evocation and linear in structure. Writing the screenplay of an adaptation is a tough job.

Urmi Juvekar and I bickered for a year to get the screenplay in place. It is a continuous iterative and interactive process.

One has to be flexible. In the book, there are two characters who come from the lowliest of society.

They are involved in negative acts but Vassilis has dealt with them quite positively. He understood the compulsions of these two characters.

The earlier film ignored these two characters. I didn't.

Is this because in the Indian context, finding a sentimental reason for a character's flaw is always a great way to win over the audience? No, that's not it. The book was set in the 1960s and was written in the context of the Left and the Right wing politics.

Today's India has no political ideologies as such. It is more about the rich and the poor.

From being a transmutation of a "Left and Right film", "Shanghai" became a "Rich and Poor movie". "Shanghai" is a political thriller at a time when real-life political scenario has become one big tamasha with a lot of thriller element.

Does that interest you? No. Most of the political thrillers in India are about this tamasha.

But my film is about the politics of real life. It is about the politics that decide where you will live and which road will be open for you and which building will be demolished to create which mall.

The great Indian political tamasha, in contrast, is a creation of the bad habits of the elite media of our country. One has to manufacture tamasha and have people opine on every possible event because there are so many pages to fill up.

My interest doesn't lie there. My movie is about the blood and sweat politics of real survival.

While you spent a year deciding on the screenplay of the movie, most of the hits in India today don't even have the script. What's the importance of scripts in the context of Indian cinema then? A script of an Indian film is as important as you make it.

A film with lots of stars and expensive locations might generate 100 crore at the box-office. But who knows whether the film wouldn't have generated 200 crore at the BO if more attention was paid to the script or not.

For me, the important factor is the need to make better and well-made cinema that's organically complete. A well-made cinema should not be judged by its BO success.

The maker and his respect for what he does in cinema should not be judged by what he earns by doing so. Are you happy with what you've earned? Yes, I am.

I have my house, my cars and can afford a decent standard of living. Do you still not have a television at home? I don't.

My mobile still doesn't have Internet connectivity. But do I look ill-informed? I have my iPad and I am very prompt about replying to e-mails.

Does your daughter insist that you let her to watch cartoons on television? We don't have a television at home. She doesn't watch it.

Can she speak Bangla? No, she can't. The fault is completely mine because I have never spoken to her in Bengali.

My wife, Richa, is from Kolkata and can speak the language. But Richa and I speak Bengali only when we have some secret to share in front of others.

Otherwise, we speak in Hindi and English. I certainly want our daughter to be introduced to Bengali literature.

My parents did that to me and hence my world opened up. I too would want that to happen to her and will soon gift her a Barnaporichoy (less)

Arivazhagan's first film, Eeram , the supernatural thriller, was a huge success at the box office. After that, he has been working on Vallinam with actor Nakul, who is playing the lead role in the movie.

But then, the team has taken a break as Nakul has had to complete his earlier commitments. Arivazhagan said, "Nakul had to complete shooting for director KS Adhiyaman.

So, we have just started the second schedule of shooting." While actress Bindu Madhavi was to play the female lead initially, Arivazhagan said he will be introducing a new girl, Mridula.

"She belongs to our state and can speak the language fluently as well." According to the director, Vallinam will be completely different from his first film.

"While Eeram was a supernatural thriller, Vallinam is about sports and Nakul plays a basketball player. The story completely revolves in and around Chennai," he added.

While 30 per cent of the film is already over, Arivazhagan said the movie will be completed by March. Vallinam is being produced by Aascar Films and Thaman has scored the music for the film.

Nakul will start shooting for Naan Rajavaga Pogiren directed by Vetrimaaran's assistant Prithvi Rajkumar after Vallinam . Tweet (less)

In his 60s the actor is still going as strong and fresh as ever, getting to play very interesting characters. "35 years ago I wanted to do films with great roles and also desperately wanted to be recognized on the Bollywood map.

Ironically, at this juncture of my life I have changed priorities. I am not looking for mainstream cinema or any great character.

All I crave for is a good happening and an intriguing tale with a different character", says the actor. Surprisingly enough, the versatile actor was deprived of being offered any romantic roles in films.

"I am very romantic at heart in real life. But I fail to understand how come the directors could never see me performing romantically inclined characters.

In Ishqiya I did perform romantic sequences in a challenging manner opposite Vidya Balan. This is the only romantic character offered to me in my lifetime", he smiles.

� Ask him about his disheveled look in his forthcoming film Michael and The Blueberry Hunt and he says, "I look different because I did not have time to shave, so I continued with my bearded look. The Blueberry Hunt is a different film completely with an environmental background.

So the look has to be that way. However I'm happy that people like me in that shabby yet appealing look", says Naseer with a twinkle in his eyes (less)

This special collection for the fairer sex includes the sporty T Race, the casual T Cera and the graceful T Evocation. At the event, the actress admitted that she started wearing watches regularly only four years ago and her first piece was none other than a Tissot.

Commenting on the new line, Deepika said, "It seamlessly helps me commute between my busy work schedules and frantic social commitments. Above all, each timepiece reflects femininity.

" With her superpacked daily itinerary, trust Deepika to choose the best range of watches to help her keep time in style (less)